The Trouble With Pets
by Lady Valtaya
Summary: Sasuke's a famous Neko-jin fighter and his owner Kakashi has everything that money can buy- but money doesn't equal happiness. Can Sasuke win the innocent heart of Iruka's new fox?
1. Last Battle

**Disclaimer**: I don't own anything in this story. I'm just borrowing the Naruto characters again because it is fun and I'm still a perv.

**Author's Notes**: This AU fic was inspired by my demented but adorable kitten- Bunny Boots. Because for an entire month she tried everything she could think of to get our (neutered) remarkably stupid yet also cute Cockapoo (dog) to mate with her. XD

Subsequent chapters of this fic shall be co written by me Lady Valtaya and fellow Sasu/Naru/Sasu nut, the lovely SangoStar. So leave us a review and give her much love for being so amazingly wonderful!

The Trouble With Pets

Chapter 1

The room was too hot- even with the air conditioner on. At least the lights were low. But the sound of his pounding heartbeat almost deafened his sensitive ears in the quiet room. In one of the far corners, he sat hunched against a cream colored wall.

His trainer was with him, as always. Tall, lean and white haired, the human was in his mid thirties yet reminded him of a sloppy teenager or a scarecrow. Patiently, he waited over by the easy chairs provided for them. The man leaned against the wall beneath one of the recessed lights, slowly savoring his favorite smutty book. Kakashi's constant presence with his cool, disinterested demeanor helped him to stay calm.

Unlike most of the people who applied for a hybrid trainer's license, Kakashi actually had a lifetime of experience with exotic animals. His father had been a famous circus performer. That was why Kakashi could read him so well. The tilt of his head, every flick of his tail and the set of his ears, all of it held meaning to the human because he'd seen it before- in lions, tigers, jaguars and leopards.

He closed his eyes. Usually they were pitch black, but tonight hormones and adrenaline had combined to turn them a rich, deep crimson. It was hard to keep his breathing slow and even.

This fight was almost over- on a floor above them; the anxious crowd suddenly whooped an octave louder. He could feel their excitement even through the heavy cement walls and ceiling of the basement.

That meant the next match- no, he corrected himself, _**'my** match would be starting soon.'_

It was tempting to get up and start pacing around the room- but it never helped and he wasn't nervous. He was just ready to get it over with.

Humans prided themselves on their "civilized" behavior- yet every time he fought it was the same. He smelled the spectators' aggression increasing each time the doors down this hall were opened. They told themselves that the violence they witnessed in the ring above him was "controlled" of course, but many of the thousands in this arena had come to see blood.

He opened his eyes and growled as that thick, musky scent of excitement above permeated the hallway once more. Licking his lips, he enjoyed the tension it added to his muscles. Murmurs came down the hall toward them, and his tail flickered warningly across the cool cement.

A nervous looking human stuck his head inside the dressing room.

'_**My**_ _dressing room,'_ he corrected himself.

"Five minutes, people!" The short, balding man waved his clipboard. Furry black ears swept back and he growled at the approaching voices of more tournament staff. "Control says we've got about five minutes left in this match! Hey! Kakashi? It's so quiet in there, you sure your boy is-"

"Leave," Kakashi calmly blocked the man from proceeding any farther into the room, but he had not bothered to put down the erotica he was reading.

"But he's just-"

"Sasuke's ready," Kakashi shrugged. He heard the sound of another page being turned in the book his trainer was holding- ordinarily Sasuke would have chuckled, but tonight his hormones and instincts were already making it too hard to hold still. "Go twitch somewhere else."

"You can't talk to me like that! I'm just doing my-" The technician snapped, glaring at the other man.

Sasuke smelled the intruder's mounting indignation. Because it was directed at Kakashi, he gave the idiot a long, low warning growl to back off now or be removed.

"My Neko doesn't like company before his matches. So _my_ job," Kakashi interrupted in a low voice, "is to keep him from killing you. Go."

Sasuke growled a little louder, his tail twitching ever so slightly- he knew the other man was going to argue.

The man started to complain again, but the door slammed shut and the intruder was gone.

"I saw that, Sasuke."

Sasuke shook his head, quizzically giving Kakashi his full attention. He realized he'd been growling and stopped. His ears ticked back- he didn't like the man's tone. "Saw what?"

"You were going to attack that moron." Kakashi said, he slid the book into his jacket pocket and folded his arms across his chest.

Sasuke blinked. _'Attack?'_

That was when he realized wasn't in the corner anymore. His arched tail was rigid, he was crouched low on all fours, all his muscles tense, ready to spring - but most telling of all; his claws were out. Sasuke growled, and stretched out onto his side, lying on the cool cement. He caught the end of his glossy black tail and licked it, feigning disinterest.

"I'll admit, it was working for a while, but you haven't been yourself for months now." Kakashi sighed. "You shouldn't have to fight every two weeks or risk your hormones and adrenaline sparking out of control, Sasuke. You're five years old now, you need to-"

"Mate?" Sasuke dared him, his eyes were blood red, and his thick tail slapped the cement floor.

Kakashi just rolled his eyes. "I'm not talking about _breeding_ you and you know it."

"You mean not **yet**." Sasuke corrected, making no effort to hide the bitter sarcasm.

"I want you to love your mate because sooner or later your leopard side _will_ want cubs. But humans mate all the time without having kids."

Sasuke snorted. "I know. I remember every slut you've ever brought home, and I still wonder why all of them actually expected you to call them again."

"Other Nekos mate casually before they find their bond-mates too, Sasuke."

Sasuke's ears twitched again and he growled. "I'm not some demented cliff diving rat, Kakashi. Those are called lemmings."

"Yeah," Kakashi grinned, "You've always been one of a kind… _Kitten_."

Sasuke choked on his reply which ruined his death glare but another knock sounded at the door.

Kitten? Sasuke simply stared at his human, still incredulous. Kakashi hadn't called him that in years!

No one else would dare say such a thing; he was almost fully grown. He was also already tall for a purebred leopard Neko at 5ft 5inches and he about weighed 131 lbs. With all the fights he'd been in lately, his lean, pale body was scarred, but chiseled to perfection. And, his every move was as effortlessly graceful as the great cat he was partially descended from.

'_Kitten?'_ Sasuke growled arching one dark brow. Even when he was a cub, Kakashi had only called him that when he was being unusually stubborn. Like when he trained instead of going to bed so that he could rest- or when he wasn't socializing properly with other Nekos.

Actually- to be honest, he still wasn't very good at that. The vast majority of other exotics he'd met were all fighters. Conditioned to kill each other if necessary, they were interested in two things fucking and finding out who was the strongest… There were exotics that didn't fight of course, but they were pets and or breeding stock so they were scorned by all of his opponents as lazy bitches.

As an exotic, Sasuke was unique for two reasons- one, he hated fighting. He put up with it anyway because, two he loved Kakashi. When he met the man, Sasuke was still much too young to breed and too distrustful of humans to be around them much. Yet he was also too famous for the media to allow him to disappear into obscurity as a pet so he began training as a fighter…

"Hatake? Kakashi-san," The insistent knocking outside the dressing room got louder. "It's time! Let's bring him out!"

Kakashi grinned. "Your fangirls are ready for you now."

Sasuke growled, but knew that the indignant blush on his cheeks had only deepened. His long tail twitched unhappily as he momentarily considered gutting the man.

But the door at the far end of the hall opened and the adrenaline soaked scent of the crowd teased him again. He smirked as he stood up. It would be a lot more fun to take his frustration out on tonight's opponent. With their discussion already forgotten, he stepped into the utility hallway.

The smell of the crowd and their shouts of excitement above them seemed closer and louder with every stride. Beneath the packed stadium, the service corridors were as crowded as always on championship night. Humans scurried around everywhere.

Reporters and camera-men shouted questions at Kakashi, but the man ignored them and calmly kept walking. Keeping his hands very still in his jacket pockets, Kakashi let the technicians and security guards keep the journalists away. Sasuke ignored them too, the sooner he reached the arena the better.

A gurney clattered by; the female hybrid on the stretcher was dying- a gaping wound torn close to her heart. Sasuke didn't react when he was bumped during the commotion. He missed the wary looks the medical staff gave him as they took their patient past him to the elevator.

Sasuke followed Kakashi, unaware that he was sweating. Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion as more adrenaline sharpened his animal reflexes and senses to their utmost. He made another conscious effort to control his breathing and heart rate.

A savage growl from another hybrid met his ears, but even when he heard the tug on the chains holding the wolf hybrid back, Sasuke's eyes never left Kakashi.

Like all exotic animal hybrids, Sasuke legally had to be collar monitored at all times. But because of what had happened to him as a cub, Kakashi never used chains or even a leash on Sasuke- ever. Kakashi was adamant that like their ancestors, sometimes just touching a great cat Neko in such a heightened state of adrenaline could be far more dangerous than relying on the hybrid's self control.

"Here they come!" The announcer's voice boomed though the huge room's speakers. Sasuke growled, and his ears flicked back, but he continued to follow Kakashi.

Other handlers thought Kakashi was crazy at first, but cats were proud creatures. Especially when said cat talks and thinks just like a human while it is calm. So it wasn't long before they realized that Kakashi was the smart one- Sasuke would never get frustrated and attack him while he was being unchained for his fights.

"Tonight's Challenger is Hoozuki Suigetsu! Trained by Raiga of the Water country, he's a Great White Shark hybrid! He's dropped a few pounds to qualify for this division, weighing in at…" Sasuke wasn't really listening, his ears twitched in annoyance, but the announcer just kept talking over his loudspeaker.

They were in a long tunnel with a high ceiling that was constructed out of clear acrylic panels over two inches thick. This close to the ring, there had to be fewer people to distract the hybrids. So the path ahead was empty, save for a few paramedics, himself and Kakashi. An identical tunnel from the other side of the arena led to the other side of the ring. This system kept the two combatants separated from the fans and each other until it was time to start.

"And here's our Champion in the Lightweight division, Uchiha Sasuke! Raised and handled exclusively by owner Hatake Kakashi, this black Leopard or Panther Neko is one of the most famous hybrids in the world. He recently moved up to this weight class yet he's continued to be unstoppable! Weighing…"

"Have fun," Kakashi winked and gestured to the sliding doors marking Sasuke's entrance to the fighting cage. They were still inside the tunnel, and a double set of clear sliding doors separated the approach from the ring.

Sasuke snorted, and walked inside the small holding cell with a smirk, he didn't move as it closed behind him.

The so called ring wasn't a ring at all, of course- but it didn't look like an old fashioned boxing ring either. It was a giant, 9x9x9 meter cube, made of more crystal clear acrylic. Each wall and the ceiling had long, tubular ventilation slats cut out of each panel at regular intervals that he had learned to climb on and maneuver easily. This allowed Sasuke to use the cage itself as both a weapon and an evasive barrier. With his compact but powerful body and feline agility, he made better use of the cube's walls than anyone else on the circuit.

"The fighters are ready to rumble! The trainers are ready too! How about it, fans? Are you ready? Both collars were safety checked at this morning's weigh in ceremony," Sasuke's ears twitched back again; every time the announcer spoke, the boisterous crowd grew even louder. "So let's get it on!"

The indicator light on the holding cell's door and his safety collar gave a simultaneous beep. The thick door slid open with a hiss and Sasuke prowled out.

He'd watched recordings of a few of Suigetsu's previous matches. He was taller and heavier than Sasuke, but had limited speed and even less agility. Like all shark hybrids, he depended on his strength and endurance to take down his opponents. Then there was the intimidation factor; the silver haired boy wasn't much older than Sasuke, but he'd already mastered the sharks' ominous toothy grin.

True to his usual form, Suigetsu waved to the crowd and ignored him for a few moments, acclimating himself to the cage and the people watching them.

Sasuke growled and his tail twitched in annoyance. Because of his infamous past, he'd started fighting at a younger age than most and had never stopped. His total of 198 wins in 200 fights gave him the best record of anyone currently fighting on the KHPA's top circuit. Sasuke wasn't sure he was ready to retire after this match, but he was looking forward to his vacation.

Kakashi had promised to take him camping- but first he was determined to win this match.

Tired of watching the shark's showboating, Sasuke pounced on the overconfident idiot who had turned his back on him. He used him as a springboard to jump up and grab onto the edge of one of the slats in the ceiling. Meanwhile his opponent picked himself up off of the floor, grimacing in pain at the bleeding claw marks in his shoulder.

"What's wrong, pretty kitty? Don't like to be ignored? You can bet I won't ignore you when we take you to home…"

Ordinarily Sasuke ignored the idiots who tried to rile him up, but Kakashi had been right earlier. He hadn't been himself in the ring for months. He didn't like the look in the shark's eyes or the teasing tone of his voice, either.

Sasuke shivered and launched himself at the talkative idiot while promising himself that he wasn't for sale. Kakashi would never do that to him…

He punched his larger opponent in the stomach and crouched as he landed, sticking his foot behind him and shoved him over. The shark hybrid went down with a stunned expression and the crowd howled their approval.

Suigetsu was big and tough; it was like punching a sandbag. But most of his opponents were bigger than he was, so it wasn't a surprise. Eventually Sasuke would wear him down- he doubted he would even have to use his claws again.

The shark's violet eyes were furious as he stood up, but Sasuke said nothing. He was smaller, but like all exotic hybrids, greater muscle density and tougher bone structure made Sasuke many times stronger than any human of similar size and weight.

The shark would regret underestimating him. He was already bleeding and soon he'd be limping too.

Sasuke dashed forward again, but this time he stayed low to the ground. Suigetsu tried for a kick, but Sasuke twisted his body to avoid it, swinging his heavy tail out behind him for balance. He hammered his fist into the muscle inside of the shark's left inner thigh, close to his knee.

The shark hybrid cried out in pain as he tried to put weight on the limb and almost fell back down.

"S-Son of a bitch," He hissed. No human could've heard it over the crowd but Sasuke smirked and his long tail flickered in amusement.

Suigetsu charged, howling in mindless fury. He punched, but Sasuke just sidestepped and turned. Now behind him, Sasuke kicked him in the back. Knocked off balance once again, the shark rammed ungracefully into the cage wall.

More irritated than ever, larger male charged again. Sasuke snorted, and grabbed Suigetsu's shirt, and used his momentum to toss him over his shoulder. He would have ducked out of arms reach after that, but something happened…

His control collar beeped. Sasuke staggered as a massive surge of electricity shot through him and suddenly he was fighting just to remain conscious.

The device around his neck was standard for all exotic hybrids that fought in the arena. Powered by the bioelectricity constantly created by his muscles, it had channeled the energy it collected into the huge jolt. _'But why now?'_

Suigetsu kicked him in the ribs, but that wasn't as painful as the sneak attack from his safety collar had been…

Sasuke felt dazed, but rolled to his feet and glanced at Kakashi. The man looked almost as stunned as Sasuke felt. He pulled the collar's monitor out of his jacket pocket and started pressing buttons.

There was no referee in a hybrid fight to ensure fair play, but a collar malfunction? This collar wasn't new. It was used to his body rhythms and it had entered in fight mode with no problem when the cage door had opened...

Still, there was no point in worrying about it now.

Kakashi would solve the problem if he could; Sasuke trusted him. But he knew they had enemies. He just wished that Kakashi had told him who he was arguing with on the phone a few nights ago.

For now, he was on his own because if he let Kakashi stop the fight, Suigetsu would be declared the winner.

"Sasuke appears to be hesitating, but-" The announcer boomed.

He flattened his ears and snarled; he sensed movement behind him. He rolled left, knowing it would force Suigetsu to test his injured leg if he wanted to follow him.

His evasion worked and Sasuke whirled as he stood up behind the shark. His heel swept Suigetsu's feet out from under him. As he did, his collar beeped again, but Sasuke was ready for the jolt this time. Angry at the searing pain, he gritted his teeth and channeled his determination into one final punch. The collar beeped yet again but the fight was already over, Suigetsu groaned and lay still.

"Woah! That was quite a punch from our champion! Suigetsu won't be getting up from that!"

Exhausted and shaken, Sasuke collapsed too.

"Sasuke's-" The annoying voice on the speaker hesitated. "Folks, I'm not sure what's going on, but they're both down. Our champion is down! Let's get some-"

He tried to get up, he knew he'd won- he just couldn't. He shivered wondering why he felt so cold all of a sudden. Clearly the collar had taken a lot out of him.

But at least everything was finally quieting down- even the announcer and the screaming crowd. The last thing he saw as his eyes closed was Kakashi and the medical team frantically working on the door of the cage…

* * *

There were voices murmuring quietly nearby as Sasuke started to wake up. He growled, annoyed that he was sleeping on his back and tried to roll over onto his side, but his wrists were cuffed to the bed.

His eyes snapped open and he tugged at the bindings! The place and the voices were unfamiliar. His tail twitched like that of an angry rattlesnake and he growled louder as he tried to sit up.

"Easy, Sas'ke. Everything's fine. You're at the hospital under the arena."

It was almost embarrassing how fast the tension left his muscles, but he took a deep breath. Kakashi's calm, sleepy voice came from the other side of the room; Sasuke could tell he was smiling.

"What happened?"

"Well, Tsunade has a committee investigating, but a man working in the security booth has already been arrested for tampering with your collar's codes. Speaking of that, I went ahead and had Tsunade fit you with a new collar. I know they're a pain in the ass until they're used to your body, but we can't let that happen again."

"How long was I out?"

"Two days. We're just lucky that the man in the booth didn't have time to finish altering the administration codes for the tranquilizer or the adrenaline stabilizers too or you would have died."

"Did I win?"

"Yes, but that's not the point! I should've stopped the fight immediately…"

"It's not your fault." Sasuke touched the thick metal collar around his neck. "Besides, if you had, I would've been pissed for ages."

"I know but- I thought I lost you…"

He sighed and picked up the tags dangling off of it and saw that they were new too. It wasn't easy to read them upside down. "Uchiha Sasuke. Owner: Hatake Kakashi. Age/Sex: 5/Male." His registration numbers looked like gibberish, but he managed to puzzle out the words on the next line. "Category: Exotic. Type: Great Cat. Breed: Leopard." The other tag had more notes engraved into the metal. "Collar type: combination- built in monitor and safety modes. Breeding status/eligibility: inactive/purebred- registered since age 2. Fight status: pending. Overall priority rating:-"

Sasuke growled. "Still level one? Did they even bother to review it this time?"

Kakashi sighed and shook his head as he sat up in the bed across the room. "I don't know but if they didn't, it isn't your fault. For five years you've been living proof that exotic hybrids can be controlled without cruelty. You've played their game long enough; if the committee isn't willing to drop your threat rating then maybe you shouldn't fight anymore. They obviously can't protect you while you are attending sanctioned events so why keep trying?"

Kakashi sounded as tired and bitter as he felt, but- "But- then what will we do?"

"Do? Well, I vote we sit around and enjoy the swimming pool in the back yard all day and then throw wild parties all night like normal rich people."

"I'm serious, you pervert…"

"So am I. Will you relax? We have more money than we need, Sasuke."

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Sasuke snorted dubiously. "I know how fast you collect porn."

"Very funny… _Kitten_," Kakashi said, and went back to reading.

Sasuke scowled at hearing his old nickname again, but Kakashi had several points. It was frightening that a total stranger had been able to make his other collar attack him in front of thousands of people. He had a ton of fans all over the world and they would be outraged by this treachery.

But according to the law he was still considered just an animal. If a hybrid died, it was rarely investigated seriously. Tsunade and the people at the KHPA were working to change that, but for now, hybrids were still considered subhuman. This meant hybrids had the protection of the law only if they were lucky enough to have an owner who wanted to protect them.

Unfortunately, because they were potentially so dangerous, large exotics were considered even less human than their permanently child sized domestic equivalents. So to the police, the worst crime would be the damage to the arena's reputation. Many fans bet on the outcome of the battles that took place in the cage and this generated huge revenue for the KHPA. So, the police and the lawyers took conspiracy to commit fraud charges more seriously than the lives of the fighters the fans were betting on.

"So who did it?"

"The asshole claimed he was hired by a man named Yoroi to tamper with the codes."

"I don't understand… why do it in that fight? Haku and Gaara are much better fighters- and I've fought both of them within the last month!"

"I- don't know." Sasuke growled, sensing the man's hesitation. But before he could say he didn't believe him, the door opened.

The woman who entered was Tsunade, a scientist and the world's foremost authority on hybrids.

"Well, you look pretty good for a cocky brat that just beat two opponents," The tall blonde woman ruffled his hair fondly and smiled. "But how are you feeling?"

"Tired," He huffed. He hated to admit it, but this woman had helped Iruka save his life when he was only 6 months old. Because of that, she was the only veterinarian he allowed to examine him while he was conscious.

"Well," The woman nodded, taking notes on her clipboard. "The precautionary sedatives probably aren't out of your system yet. Other than that, are you okay?"

Sasuke nodded, he pricked his ears as he sat up. "Can we go home now?"

"No. I don't think that's a good idea, given that the attack was so public."

Sasuke growled; his tail curled restlessly all over the bed.

"Now, settle down, brat. I'd feel better if you were at the Agency, but Iruka thinks it might be better for you _and_ Kakashi to disappear for a while."

Sasuke cocked one ear curiously but his tail continued to writhe anxiously.

"We're going camping a little earlier than we'd planned to."

Since he had resigned himself to another trip to Suna and living in a hotel room, Sasuke was happily surprised. "Really?"

"Yep, we're meeting Iruka-sensei at the cabin just as soon as she says you're okay to leave."

Sasuke stilled completely. "Iruka-sensei will be there too?"

"He's due for a vacation, and you'll be safest with people that you trust. Besides, you need some time to yourself. Don't give me that look, brat. Even after you come back to Konoha, I'm ordering you to take at least a year long break from fighting in the arena. I'll keep you updated on the investigation here, but call me immediately if anything happens or if you need anything. But above all else; have fun."

She unstrapped him and then kissed the top of his head making him blush. His ears swept back a little as she ruffled his hair again, but her cell started chirping, and she left with a smile.

* * *

**Author's Note**: KHPA stands for the Konoha Hybrid Protection Agency. In this fic, it is both a gigantic building and the organization that controls all aspects of hybrid breeding, training, adoption and formal events like shows for purebreds and the fights in the arenas.


	2. First Impressions

**Author's note**: This chapter was co written by Sango Star and Lady Valtaya. Hope you like it.

Chapter 2

They'd been driving for what seemed like ages. Since Sasuke was sprawled across the back seat as usual, he couldn't see much besides the treetops that passed by. He growled, grooming the end of his tail quietly. He felt the car taking another turn and sunk his claws into the seat to steady himself with another soft growl.

"Still awake back there?" Kakashi asked. The human looked into the back of his car from the rear view mirror. "Hey, don't claw the seats too hard, remember this is a rental." He shook his head. "Anyway, this is our turn, Sas, Tablerock Lake." Usually Kakashi drove his SUV everywhere but it was in the shop. He knew that his exotic was unhappy with the space in the car but he would just have to get over it.

Sasuke snorted and continued licking his tail. "The lake is huge so the roads around here twist and turn around it for miles, just bug me when we get to the cabin."

"Hai hai." The human waved a hand. It would be better if the cat could nap anyway; he always got so cranky on car rides.

--

The cabin was usually never this dusty, Iruka sighed.

It took hours to clean, and air out the spacious three bedroom log house nestled deep in the mountains. The snow covered peaks and the beautiful valleys visible in the distance were stunning. The calm, sparkling water of the huge lake couldn't be more peaceful as the endless forest stretched around them in every direction as far as the eye could see.

Umino Iruka owned the cabin and tried to come here as often as he could but time was always an issue. Ever since he was made assistant administrator to the KHPA he didn't have as much time to relax here at the cabin. He finally felt the place was clean enough to take a break on the front porch though. It helped that his new exotic pet hadn't put up too much of a fight when he said they needed to clean it. Now, to say Naruto was a bad pet would have been very wrong. He was a great pet; the fox hybrid just needed a different approach. When the blond fox wasn't scared to come out of random hiding places, he was mouthy and pushed the limits. However, Iruka knew that that would change with some love and boundaries.

The late twenties early thirties male looked to his wrist watch and then at the car making it's way into the driveway to park next to his four door sedan. He smiled warmly and stood to greet his guests.

"Alright. This is our stop." Kakashi announced to his pet.

Sasuke got out when Kakashi opened the door for him and pricked one ear curiously. The cabin looked the same as it had when he was a cub!

But the forest around him was so much brighter and more airy than he remembered. He hadn't realized how much he'd missed the way light glittered off of the leaves or the fresh scent of the forest. He'd definitely spent too much time in Konoha over the last few years. He'd have to reacquaint himself with all of the sights and smells of the natural world all over again.

But he had something else to reacquaint with first! His tail curled and his ears pricked when he caught Iruka's scent. In one leap he was on top of the human- literally. Sasuke would never hurt him though, he rolled to protect Iruka from the ground's impact and then pinned him. He nuzzled him playfully, purring loudly.

Iruka saw two of his precious people get out of the small SUV and smiled. It wasn't a surprise when he saw Sasuke barrel towards him. He had been such an influential human to the exotic.

Iruka propped himself up on his elbows and hugged the cat to his chest. The purring was loud and rang in the animal activist's ears. Sasuke's pale whiskers tickled his nose, but Iruka kissed the leopard on top of the head happily."Glad to see you're feeling better Sasuke." Tan fingers went and scratched the neko behind a fluffy ear. "Was your ride here okay?" Iruka asked sincerely.

Sasuke basked in the attention for another moment before he decided to let the man get up. He hadn't seen much of Iruka in the eight months since he was transferred out of the Nursery. "Too long and boring." Sasuke huffed. "But at least we didn't have to take an airplane."

Kakashi just grinned. "Well, if you looked over the seats every once in a while, you would like traveling more..."

Sasuke ignored that and bounded up the nearest tree that would support his weight and looked around. "Hey, Kakashi said your new pet was coming with you?"

It was fun to see Sasuke in action again. The cat had such a sleek body, with his feline grace, that Iruka couldn't help but be mesmerized by his attributes. Looking up he answered.

"Yes, he's here. But be careful Sasuke, my fox isn't all too sociable yet. Try and see if you can bring him around though. Naruto should be by the lake." Iruka looked to Kakashi. "I'm sure Sasuke wants to go play in the woods, but would you like to bring your things in and I'll make some tea?"Kakashi nodded and Iruka smiled a bit shyly. This would be a great vacation indeed.

_'So far so good,' _he thought. Kakashi and Iruka were getting along, so Sasuke took a moment to rub his ear on the tree branch where he'd settled. Then he looked around, tasting the wind, casting for scents. The large lake forked behind the cabin, stretching as far as the eye could see. In one leap, he was back on the ground and he padded lightly through the tall grass and bushes, down toward the water. The forest was full of animals; deer, raccoons, owls and rabbits, but he hadn't found the scent of a fox yet.

--

The lake was huge. Trees littered the edge of the warm summer water and a few yards in, the water grew deeper. After he had helped Iruka with cleaning the damn cabin he needed to get outside.

Ever since he could remember he didn't like being confined. Since the house felt stuffy earlier the exotic fox had wanted to leave. He knew that it wouldn't feel that way once he went back because of the fresh breeze that flowed through it and aired out the rooms.

Naruto was about five foot one inch. Short for a four year old exotic but foxes were usually that way. Coming up and out of his spiky blond hair were fluffy orange ears tipped in black. His tail matched them and it shone in the sunlight. For a while now he had been swimming but he left his clothes on the shore to keep dry. Usually he would never let anyone see him naked like this but no one was around so strange eyes couldn't see the pooch of skin on his stretch marked belly.

Idly, Naruto touched his stomach, ears drooped. Some birds chirped loudly from the shore and the fox knew he couldn't think about that now. He paddled over to a large rock and began to climb on top of it. With a keen desire for adventure, he used his clawed hands to hold tight and his agile feet to hoist his body from the water.

Sasuke growled at the noisy birds that had chosen to announce his arrival, but the water remained silent and still. The scenery was as beautiful as he remembered; sunlight glittered over the rocks, and over hanging trees. The water sparkled like diamonds and the air smelled so clean here that it was almost overwhelming...

Looking around again, he decided that it was time to find Iruka's pet. In all the years the kindhearted human had spent taking care of cubs in the KHPA's nursery, Iruka had never decided to adopt one himself- partially because the KHPA's governing council had decided that he couldn't have Sasuke.

Iruka had been present at his birth, so to Sasuke their imprinted maternal bond was as powerful as it was instinctive. The mere scent of Iruka had been enough to bring Sasuke running out of his hiding place in the rafters of that movie studio. Covered in blood, most of which wasn't his, he leaped into the man's arms and tried to hide from the commotion all around them. That was why, to prove that Sasuke wasn't viciously rebellious toward other humans, Iruka had to let someone else raise him.

For three months Tsunade and Iruka worried about him constantly, but Sasuke flatly refused to interact any of the trainer applicants and he rarely ate. Not that there were many people who had been willing to take a chance on adopting him after what he'd done. He could tell by their scents that these strangers either wanted him because he was "dangerous" or they were afraid of him but they still felt sorry for him. Then, only three days before the committee's final deadline, Kakashi walked into their lives...

Sasuke was desperately curious to find out what sort of a pet had finally changed Iruka's mind about "never getting that attached to his work" again.

He decided getting a higher vantage point would be a good place to start. So in two leaps, he was over twenty feet off the ground in a large catalpa tree. From there, he could see a few more cabins nestled among the trees along the shore but closer by, he saw some clothes lying out on a sunny patch of grass. Curious, he dropped down to investigate...

It took all the strength in his legs to get on top of the large rock. Water splashed up onto it making it slippery. Now he was King of the rock and no one was around to push him off. Grinning to himself his tail twitched back and forth in the sunlight. The rays from the sky began to dry his tail, he shook his head to get rid of the excess water.

Two orange ears stood up high, he smelt something.

Naruto looked over his shoulder back to the shore. There was nothing there. Was his nose playing a trick on him? He suddenly felt conscious of his nakedness and used his tail to cover his genitals and belly.

The clothes he'd found were much too large to belong to a cub, so Sasuke felt as if the mystery had only deepened.

He looked around, tasting the wind even more carefully this time. Finally, he caught a definite scent of something that wasn't human or animal. At the same time, heat stirred in his belly and Sasuke realized he was nearing his heat cycle.

Uh oh. If he'd been unconscious for two days, then he was already in heat. Worse, with his new collar acclimating itself to his body rhythms, Tsunade wouldn't have been able to give him the shot! So he wasn't just going to be constantly horny for the next few days- he would actually be fertile! He swallowed hard. He didn't want cubs in the first place and he certainly didn't want to be their mother! Meeting Iruka's new pet definitely wasn't a good idea- at least not right now...

With his tail drying, Naruto could cover more of himself. But behind him he heard something this time. He looked back again and this time he saw another exotic. It looked to be some kind of cat, he was beautiful. His clothes hugged all the right lines and muscles. Naruto couldn't think of that right now though. This was a stranger to him, he felt anxious. Why the hell did he come out here alone in the first place? Oh yeah...he needed fresh air.

Orange ears went back in warning, tail held tighter to his naked body. Blue eyes watched the cat's every move. He called out to the shore, "Who are you?" The rock wasn't too far away but Naruto didn't want to leave his spot unless he needed to run.

Sasuke turned at the voice and growled low in his throat, his tail twitched warningly. He really hated being in heat, because his body reacted to everything. Apparently that included wet, naked blond foxes with sparkling blue eyes and unusually pronounced whiskers.

_'Okay, so much for me not being a demented cliff diving rat...'_ He thought bitterly as his body started getting uncomfortably warm.

Still, the fox was at a more distinct disadvantage here being naked, the place was unfamiliar and in that he had only been with Iruka for a few months. Drawing a little closer, Sasuke decided the fox was probably younger than him too.

"I'm Sasuke."

Naruto's eyes grew a bit as the cat named 'Sasuke' went closer to the water's edge. He gulped nervously, as one of his feet that were hidden from view went into the water behind the rock where he sat. He licked his lips, as the whiskers on his face twitched. A little hesitant he half whispered, "I...I'm Naruto." He said with as much as the cat had.

Sasuke wrinkled up his nose disdainfully when a small wave washed over one of his sneakers. True, he wasn't wearing good clothes, but he disliked getting wet if it wasn't absolutely necessary. He glanced over at the fox. "You should get dressed, it will be time to eat soon." The fox still looked like he thought he might attack him, so Sasuke turned and left. He might as well go see what their humans were doing. Besides, then he could ask Iruka why his pet was so shy at that age.

Naruto watched the cat leave. It was already close to dinner time? That meant the exotic was one of the two guests in the cabin. Iruka hadn't told him too much about who was going to be there, just two of his close friends. He felt a bit foolish now.

When he couldn't smell the cat anymore, he jumped off of the rock before any prying eyes could see him and swam up to shore. Quickly Naruto pulled the baggy pants on and tugged the over sized shirt over his head. He ran as fast as his legs could carry him taking a short cut through the woods to the cabin. He halted and sniffed the air. The cat was close....he wanted to try and get to the house first.

Knowing that Iruka would be with the food, Sasuke jumped gracefully up onto the high balcony in back of the cabin that opened into the kitchen. The grill on the deck was heating, but there was nothing on it yet so he knew he wasn't late. Iruka and Kakashi sat at the island in the kitchen, with tea. He scowled at Kakashi, not caring that the human wouldn't understand why he was angry. He looked at Iruka. "I told your pet to come inside for dinner. So where did you meet him? They never have pets his age for public adoption at the Agency."

Iruka had been in the kitchen when the leopard silently came into the cabin. He had put some hot dogs and hamburgers onto a platter and carried them outside with him.

"You saw Naruto? That's wonderful." Iruka beamed. He stood near the grill and made sure it was hot enough. The human wasn't sure if he should go right into Naruto's background when Sasuke had just met the fox. A frown marred his mouth as he pulled his chocolate hair up into a high ponytail. He didn't like working with food and his hair down.

"Well," Iruka started but then hesitated. "It's a long story. But I found him in a place where they were not treating him well."

Sasuke nodded and shivered. He understood that perfectly. His first adoption hadn't gone well either... He was happy with Kakashi though; they were a good match. The lazy human loved his spirit and his sarcastic wit, while Kakashi understood Sasuke's moods and still trusted him completely. It wouldn't hurt his owner to be more organized like a normal human though. Sasuke was always reminding him when it was time to go get shots or when he needed to be evaluated.

Iruka knew that the cat had followed him outside. He placed some of the meats onto the grill and put the lid on the large machine down. "They were busted for different reasons but the people who had Naru were horrible." Just as he was about to go into further detail he saw a wet orange blur come darting out of the trees.

Naruto had ran into the open grass in between the trees and the cabin. Blue eyes looked up and saw the cat talking to his Iruka. He sighed, knowing his new owner wouldn't like him to be possessive but he felt that way, damn it. Naruto bolted towards the house full speed and went around to the front. He didn't want to walk by them by way of the back door.

Naruto padded up to his room in the cabin. He was going to share it with Iruka...he hoped. They hadn't discussed that before. Digging through his suitcase he pulled on a black baggy t shirt, and a pair of loose pants. He still didn't like a tight feeling around his belly. It just brought to many feelings to the surface that he wanted to forget, because he would never see them again.

Quietly he made his way down the steps. He stopped though when he saw a silver haired human in the kitchen. As silent as he could he went past the human and around an island near the stove. He hid behind it, peaking out to see the human's eyes on him. Bolting back behind the island he wished the human didn't see him.

Naruto looked around the island again, the human still starred.

He lowered his ears as he stepped warily out onto the back porch. His fur was still wet but he wanted to be outside. Once he opened the door he stopped, eyes wide. The cat was out there with his Iruka. Not very happy, Naruto went to Iruka. He put his face into Iruka's chest, arms folded around him instantly.

"Did you like the lake Naru?" Iruka asked softly. The fox nodded.

Sasuke snorted at the fox clinging to Iruka. He hadn't seen many pets that would cling to their handlers that way- at least not in front of an exotic they weren't familiar with, but on the other hand, Sasuke knew Iruka was special. He had gentleness about him that all hybrids were drawn to instinctively.

He glanced back inside- predictably, Kakashi was reading his smutty book again. He sighed; it wasn't dark yet, but the sun was just about to disappear over the hills in the distance and he was still uncomfortably warm in spite of the breeze.

"Fucking collars..." He muttered, leaning on the railing. Sasuke growled, knowing he was staying warm because he liked the feral scent of the fox and that would be a problem..."I'm going out front..." Sasuke said, but rather than go inside, he jumped onto the roof and then over it. Once he was away from the fox, his hormones eased up a little. But as he climbed into a tree and settled on a thick branch, he noticed he was purring. Still annoyed by his body's reaction to the attractive fox, he decided to take a nap.

The cat was gone but the fox couldn't help but keep his body close to Iruka's. He found love in this man when everything else in his life had been taken away. A voice above him pulled him out of his possessiveness.

"Naru, look at me." Iruka asked nicely. Blue eyes looked up at his master. "You know he won't hurt you right?" The fox sighed, he did know it. It was all natural reaction now to be fearful of things he didn't know. For so long he had been kept locked away at the farm and only fed by machine, cleaned by machine and so forth. Naruto nodded to his master, his ears folded down. "I...I'll try to talk to him..."

Iruka smiled, "That's my boy. Now why don't you relax and go get him when dinner's done, hmm? That will be in about fifteen minutes."

Naruto smiled, a real toothy one. Whenever he talked to Iruka it made him feel good. As the minutes ticked by, the fox watched the clock. He would do as Iruka asked and go get Sasuke.

When the clock said fifteen minutes had passed he went onto the roof to look for the cat. He found him and jumped to the tree that Sasuke slept in. He tiptoed out onto the branch, his tail coiled around the wood. He called to Sasuke, "Sasuke...Sasuke...wake up. Di...Dinner's ready." Naruto breathed, he did it.

Sasuke growled at the small, timid voice. His long, heavy tail twitched, but the scent told him it was just the fox. Since Naruto was obviously no fighter, Sasuke managed to stop growling. Iruka would be angry if he upset his timid new pet. But their proximity teased his senses and Sasuke ended up purring instead.

He wasn't that small- well, not compared to the other foxes he'd met. If Naruto was three or four years old, he'd be about normal sized- if he was a purebred but those were rare and something about the blond really reminded him of a cub. Maybe it was his eyes or the innocent but possessive way that he'd thrown himself at Iruka earlier. Well, whatever it was, it was odd, but Sasuke knew he had plenty of quirks too.

'_Like being the only five year old exotic hybrid in the world who had never had sex before?'_ Sasuke snorted at the voice in his head, as usual, it sounded disturbingly human. Worse, was that it reminded him of something Kakashi the pervert would say. Lost in his thoughts, he growled again as he jumped down and headed for the cabin.

Naruto sat up tall. He made an effort to be nice and the leopard was being a jerk. The fox clawed at the branch as his face scrunched up, he was unable to process his feelings. Not wanting to be left out he jumped down, landing on his front paws and bounded for cabin. He saw that the cat was going in at a leisurely pace.

Naruto's eyes grew mischievous. He walked in a crouched position a little behind Sasuke. Right when Sasuke turned around to investigate the fox pounced on the leopard's back. Falling forward Naruto ran as fast as he could towards the cabin, loud giggles echoed off the last trees of the forest.

Sasuke paused and arched one dark eyebrow. He'd just been pounced on by the little fox. '_He's either suicidal or he really is the cub that time forgot...' _

Naruto's laughter faded behind him as he escaped into the safety of the cabin. Luckily for the fox, that shove wasn't the sort of play wrestling that foreshadowed combat in the arena. But after his disastrous first adoption, Sasuke didn't play with the other hybrids when he was brought back into the Nursery so that his body could heal. He'd been born there and knew the other cubs well- he just didn't feel like he fit in with them anymore. Even after his body recovered, he remained cold and distant from the rest of his crop in Nursery room 7- he was unable to understand why they all still looked forward to being adopted. Tsunade had called it trauma...

He still saw a lot of the hybrids he was raised with fairly regularly, but most of them were show hybrids rather than fighters. Pampered and spoiled like he would have been if he had not been forced to become a fighter, they could be a pretty stuck up bunch because they were all purebreds. Now that they were all older, the others were obsessed with their cubs and or continuing their family lines. Sasuke yawned. He decided it was a good thing that Naruto just wasn't like any other exotic hybrid he'd ever met. Completely innocent but still cautious at first, the fox certainly had his attention constantly...The scent of food finally drew him inside though.

It felt nice to play! Naruto was all smiles now. Iruka had explained to him about exotics interacting, rough housing and things like that. The fox took two steps at a time breathless. With two clawed paws he grabbed a plate and held it out for the human to give him dinner. After Naruto finally got his breath he sat down at the picnic table, his legs swung off the ground and he saw the cat glide onto the porch.

Sasuke walked right up and touched noses with the grinning fox. "Let's do that again later." He purred.

Naruto noticed the glint in the cat's eye as he came over to him. The fox froze but took a breath in as another wet nose touched his. Again later? Sasuke the jerk wanted to play with him? He smiled and nodded eating more of his hot dog.

Being so close to the fox, Sasuke didn't want to quit touching him actually. The way his hormones were driving him crazy right now had to be some kind of a record, luckily he was hungry for food too. After being unconscious for two days, eating a lukewarm box of greasy French fries and a dozen rubbery little chicken nuggets on the drive up here wasn't enough.

It didn't take him long to eat three hamburgers and a hot dog. After that he was content to lounge on the sofa next to Kakashi, his long tail swaying contentedly as he watched the sunset.

Dinner was good and with a full stomach Naruto purred next to Iruka in the love seat. His head rested on the human's thigh. Iruka pet the fox happily. "Want to watch television Naru?" He asked happily.

Orange ears perked at the question and he sat up excited. The fox bounded off the couch and sat close to the television. His tail swayed back and forth and in a circle. "I wanna watch the safari!" The fox exclaimed.

Iruka nodded, as he picked up the remote and put it on Animal planet. The screen came to life and a show about ocean life was on. Even though Naruto asked for safari he was still interested. He got on all fours and watched, ears up high. A school of fish whizzed by on the screen as the narrator talked about the species. When they shimmered closer the fox tried to paw at them through the television.

Sasuke's ears ticked back and he gave a quiet growl as the television was turned on. But his tail started to curl curiously as he watched the fox watching the noisy box across the room.

He'd never seen anyone so interested in fish, but why not go out and try to find some in the lake rather than stare at them on the TV. "Dobe... if you like fish that much, let's go look at them outside."

An orange ear flipped back to the couch behind him. Turning around, Naruto looked at the cat. He had a confused look on his face. Being on the farm alone for so long left his vocabulary stilted. With a scrunched face he asked curiously, "Whassa dobe?" He asked slightly slurred. "And I like the DV because it shows me things I've never saw before." His tail swayed about slightly irritated.

Iruka looked up from his book and corrected his pet. "Naruto, it's seen and TV. It shows you things you've never seen before." The fox's ears drooped slightly. "Okay... TV shows me things I've never seen before." He corrected himself. "Good boy." Iruka praised his pet in a soft tone.

Sasuke smirked, and stood up. "Let's go. Iruka-sensei? Can we have a few slices of bread?"

He nodded. "Of course take the left over hamburger buns too."

Sasuke went into the kitchen and collected the buns and a few pieces of bread that didn't look very fresh anymore. He paused at the door to the balcony. "Are you coming or not?"

Naruto had been mesmerized by the TV again. But after the cat called out to him he turned around fully alert. "Yeah!" Running out of the house he was the first to bound through some tall grass towards the forest. He looked back and didn't see the cat. "Sasuke?"

"Over here." Sasuke walked along the shore until he reached a tree that had fallen into the water at a peculiar angle. As long as they were quiet, and didn't move very much, they would be able to coax a lot of fish into coming up for a snack. Iruka had shown him this one morning when he was looking for something to do while he was still a tore up a slice of bread and scattered the little pieces over the water. It didn't take long before small, dark shapes in the water started eating them.

Naruto followed the cat along the shore and almost bumped into him as Sasuke stopped. The fox looked around anxious. What would they do? Then he saw bread being dropped into the water. They would feed the fish up to the surface. He giggled but quickly put a hand over his mouth, not wanting to scare away the fish.

On the tips of his claws he bent forward to look at the dark figures that made their way to the bounced up and down, wanting to grab at them so bad. So he wouldn't do that Naruto grabbed onto the thick silky leopard tail and held it close to his chest. It was such a kit thing to do but he did it anyway.

Sasuke tore up a second slice of bread, by now there were quite a few fish trying to eat it, and it was easier to see them. He stiffened a bit when the fox suddenly grabbed his tail, but he quickly decided he didn't mind. It had been a long time since he had allowed another hybrid to touch him if it wasn't to train or while they were fighting...

To distract himself, Sasuke handed Naruto one of the left over buns. "You try it. They'll love these since they were buttered and warmed on the grill."

"Kay." The fox chirped. He broke up the bread but not into small enough pieces. Letting the bread chunks fall into the water, fish came up but it took longer for them to eat the pieces. Naruto was so excited that he almost jumped in. Grabbing Sasuke's tail he yanked it a bit. He whispered close to Sasuke's ear, "When can we grab them?"

Sasuke laughed. When he was a cub the thought of getting wet hadn't been at all appealing so such an idea had never occurred to him. The fish were already leaping over each other and out of the water to get to the food they brought.

Small splashes were everywhere in front of them but the frenzy only seemed to make the little fox more excited. Foxes were natural at fishing though, so maybe he should let him try. "Go ahead- but I'll be over here."Sasuke had jumped to the shore but moved to where he could still see everything.

Naruto didn't have to be asked twice. He leaned over the edge and held his arm over the water. There were still soggy pieces of bread along the surface but as soon as he dropped his arm the fox almost fell in. It took a few tries to get any results but when Naruto's arm was soaking wet, as well as his shirt he smiled up at Sasuke. He had caught a medium sized fish! The glassy eyes looked harsh and the mouth opened gaping.

"I caught one!!" He held it up triumphantly.

Sasuke's ears pricked curiously. That was quick, humans thought nothing of waiting all day by the lake trying to catch carp of that size. Well, it wasn't the biggest one in the lake, but it was squirming like it didn't want to be dinner. Naruto managed to hold onto it for only another moment before the slimy thing squirmed and jumped back into the water.

The fox looked startled by the strength of that leap, and the other fish seemed to have realized it was a trap too. The water was still and silent now, only a few pieces of bread floated in it, forgotten. The fish were hiding again in the branches beneath the murky water.

"Well there's always next time."

The fox pouted, looking at the water. "FINE! Go back into the water..." He sighed, tail flicked back and forth. Naruto paced the shore slightly, eyes still stuck on the fish. He could see them in the depths of the water but didn't want to get wet again.

Frustrated he remembered Sasuke up on the bank. He looked over his shoulder and saw that the cat at that moment had looked away. He crouched down in the tall bank grass. Quietly, waiting patiently he pounced onto the cat. "GOTCHA!"

Sasuke didn't throw him off immediately because Naruto's scent carried only playful aggression. Instead, he smirked; he wasn't surprised that success at fishing had brought out the fox's urge to hunt bigger prey. But it did surprise him that he seemed willing to be the prey. He was stronger and infinitely more experienced with fighting. He could easily toss Naruto over his head and reverse this, pinning him. But maybe the fact that the fox was behaving so boldly anyway, was why he hadn't done it yet…

He was five, in heat and he hadn't had any hormones administered by his collar or Tsunade to help suppress it. That explained why he was purring so loudly, but he wasn't exactly sure why he hadn't pounced on the blond yet…Still purring, Sasuke grasped the fox's hips and pressed them against his own.

The fox looked down at the leopard. His blue water colored eyes were wide. This was what it was like to play, and he loved it. All his life he had never been in contact with other exotics, or humans before Iruka. Only machines, and they were cold with no feelings. Even his babies...were taken away by machines.

His ears drooped at the thought, he closed his eyes sadly as his paws kneaded the cat's chest. But the sudden grip on his hips into a heated and hard groin alerted him to the body beneath him. The air in his lungs suddenly left him. He looked down into Sasuke's eyes...they were almost cloudy and murky.

Investigating, Naruto sniffed closer to the cat's face and chest. His long whiskers and wet nose went over the other exotic's pale skin. There was almost a spicy scent coming from the cat, what was that? Naruto felt a rumble in his chest, he had started to purr. And not putting too much thought into it, he nuzzled the cat's neck, little teeth nibbled the skin. His tail stood up on it's own, twitching and flopping left to right.

Sasuke felt drugged but still impossibly content as strong sharp teeth gently nipped the sensitive skin above his collar. He tipped his head back, and opened his legs, allowing Naruto to settle more firmly on top of him. He moaned and let his tail coil around the fox's leg.

Sasuke liked everything about this- but he wanted more. Propping himself up on his elbows, he nuzzled the fox and then gently nipped his bottom lip. He'd seen Kakashi do that with many human females, and when Naruto gasped and rubbed his hardening arousal against him, he knew he'd done it right.

The scent of the fox became even more arousing as they moved against each other. Sasuke was getting too hot though, even in his thin t-shirt. He squirmed out of it and tossed it over his head.

Naruto purred louder, almost curiously at the skin now exposed on Sasuke's chest. He butted his head against the cat's chest and his tongue shyly darted out to taste. His body was telling him what to do, even though he had never done this before. The cat had a salty taste, but musky at the same time. He liked it.

The pink tongue went out more rapidly to a dark nipple and lapped at the skin. A sharp suck on it and the flesh was red. Naruto moved his head back but his crotch met with Sasuke's with more friction when the cat sat up.

The fluffy orange tail wrapped shyly around the cat's leg, just like the others did. But… something was different. Naruto looked down to his pants; there was a wet spot on his jeans. He pressed on his pants to get a better look, distracted by this he sat up a little more to investigate. What was that?

He unbuttoned his jeans and looked underneath his boxers by pulling the material away from his stretch marked belly. His penis, as Iruka had told him it was called, was leaking. Was that supposed to happen? A curious clicking noise sounded in his throat, as well as the purring continued.

Annoyed by the sudden loss of friction and the fox's distraction, Sasuke decided it was time to get serious...Still purring, he twisted his powerful body, and reversed their positions, but kept Naruto between his thighs.

He nuzzled the startled fox and licked his ear and his neck reassuringly. He got bolder as Naruto relaxed. He leaned down and sucked one tight golden nipple into his mouth, making it harden more even through his shirt. Sasuke reached down, lightly caressing fox's silky belly as he exposed it.

Naruto stiffened and his ears flicked back, but Sasuke nuzzled him again, still purring. He reached down farther and found Naruto's arousal. It was hard and yet the skin was as soft as velvet. He growled softly, wanting nothing more than to have that inside him...

He couldn't help but growl when the cat touched his belly. It was so embarrassing, and the cat wanted to pet him there? He sighed slightly when the hand crept lower on him. Eyes closed tight when the clawed hand wrapped around his penis, his mouth opened wide as he fought for air to flow faster into his lungs. Panting, he moved with the hand. His hips bounced forward and back into the paw. Leaning against the cat he moaned.

"Sas...Sasu...What are you doing to me?" He mumbled. Tension was beginning to mount in his belly, a white hot feeling coiling in between his legs. Naruto's ears pulled back, a whimper in his chest. The feeling had taken over his whole body and it felt so great.

Sasuke felt the tension in Naruto's body and knew he had to slow down or the fox wouldn't be able to mate with him. This had happened so quickly that he wasn't sure it was actually real, but an instinct this powerful couldn't be wrong- could it? He decided he would worry about his sanity later, and took off his pants instead...

Why did Sasuke take his pants off? He didn't understand. But his attention was soon diverted when the cat kissed all along his ears and neck. He really liked that and licked Sasuke's ears back. The taste of the cat and the feel of his body made his tummy curl in ways he had never felt before.

Naruto wrapped his arms around the larger cat and rubbed on him. It felt right, so utterly right. A scent went right into the fox's nostrils. It was flowery, and almost toxic. His mind went hazy and he almost drooled. His hips started to move against Sasuke's leg with abandon and he wanted to feel warm.

Sasuke thought he heard Iruka calling them from somewhere- but it seemed far away. He knew they were safe where they were- Iruka would find them soon. He was more interested in what he was feeling. It wasn't exactly what he was craving, but the pleasure building in his groin as Naruto's body moved against his cock refused to be ignored. He was close. The tension had built up more and more. Naruto's hips moved faster and his cock fought to come out of his pants.

Blue eyes saw the underside of Sasuke and for some reason he knew what he needed to do. But he stopped purring and as everything clicked in his head- his body wanted to move forward but he knew what would happen. Sasuke would have babies too, and they would be taken away. His penis was like the machine that impregnated him, but without any of these feelings.

But as soon as Naruto tried to back away from the cat, unsure of what to do, Iruka picked him up, half frantic. "Naruto what are you doing!!" The human pulled the fox's pants up and felt how hot the exotic was. He was glad he stopped them; he could see how ready Sasuke was to mate from the looks of it.

Sasuke growled and glared balefully at the two of them when he realized Naruto wasn't in the mood anymore. He collected his clothes, but didn't bother putting them on. He intentionally avoided looking at Iruka as he bounded up onto the back porch and disappeared into the house.

Kakashi looked up as his cat came in through the back door. Since Sasuke was naked, snarling and heading for the bathroom, he wisely stayed silent and on the sofa until he heard the shower running. He sighed and walked out onto the back porch and saw Naruto and Iruka out in the grass. "Well, that actually took longer than I thought it might, but what are we going to do with them?"

Iruka in a worried voice responded. "Well Naruto is most definitely not ready to mate again. He went through way too much and I don't want him going through the stress."

In Iruka's arms, Naruto had calmed down, but the way the humans' voices sounded made it seem like he had done something wrong. "Ruka! What did I do wrong?" The fox cried, he was close to tears.

Worried he soothed his pet with a hand. "You did nothing wrong, my sweet, sweet fox." Iruka cooed.

"But I haven't gone over this with you yet....at all." The human blushed. "You know that you were about to mate right?"

"What? That's what mating is?" He asked excitedly. "But how? I got my babies from what you told me was a machine. I don't understand." Iruka hugged the fox to him. "I know, I know. This was what I wanted to talk with you about when I thought you were ready."

Kakashi was shocked. Iruka had told him of an illegal breeder whose operations were so secretive that the hybrids were not even allowed to mate naturally. But he hadn't realized that Naruto was one of the rescued specimens. He had no idea that Naruto had so little experience with his own kind... He shook his head sadly.

If it wasn't for that stupid fight, none of this would be a concern! Watching his cat nearly kill himself to avoid losing one stupid battle broke his heart, because Sasuke didn't enjoy fighting in the first place. But his pet never did anything half way- and that was part of the reason Kakashi loved him so much.

All hybrids- domestic and exotic were born fully functioning hermaphrodites, capable of breeding with their male or female organs. So it was necessary to control their reproduction artificially. Owners usually took their time in selecting prospective mates for their exotics and the stud fees for the top purebreds were often ridiculously high so the financial burden of breeding purebred pets was considerable.

That was why the same collars that continuously monitored the hybrid's mood, activity level, and over all health, also kept tabs on the hybrid's heat cycle. This was easily accomplished because it was in constant contact with the specimen's endocrine and adrenaline systems anyway. When a pregnancy was not desired, the collars automatically administered just enough hormones as their female organs began to ovulate, that the hybrid's body would automatically reject the embryos if any eggs were fertilized during intercourse.

But with Sasuke, it was much easier to always authorize the shot that would stop him from ovulating at all. The shot had to be administered by a licensed vet and would be too expensive for any normal pet because the collars were 100% effective as birth control. But Sasuke was a fighter so it made sense to protect his body as much as possible from the stress of being in heat. Unfortunately, unlike getting him laid, the shots would never do anything to improve the cat's moodiness...

Iruka had taken his fox inside and into his bedroom. He sat him down on the bed and made sure that Naruto was comfortable. This would be a long conversation. He coughed into his hand before he started.

"Naruto, humans and exotics mate like what you and Sasuke were doing. What happened to you was horrible on the farm. We've talked about that before. But now that you're free, I want you to experience what real mating is but don't you think you should wait?" He asked softly.

The fox nodded. He wasn't as confused but it surely was difficult to process. After a bit more talking Iruka hugged his pet, and kissed him on top of the head. "You ready for a bath?" Naruto nodded and felt a little better. Ever since Iruka saved him, the fox loved baths. He would play for a long time and be happy.

Sasuke growled as he turned off the water and shook himself. He dried himself with a towel and then went to get fresh clothes because his other ones smelled like Naruto and the last thing he needed was to get horny again. He put on cargo shorts and another tank top and then came out to snoop in the kitchen.

He wasn't really hungry, but he wanted some kind of a snack.

Naruto grabbed his bag of bath toys from his suitcase and pajamas. He needed a bath, it would be relaxing after the ....eventful day, was eventful even the right word for it? He guessed so. Padding down to the open bathroom it was still stuffy from the previous shower. He knew it had been the cat because of the clean feline scent left on the towels. The fox went to the bath, ran his water and striped his clothes. He couldn't wait to get into the water and play.

Iruka unpacked some of their clothes into a wooden dresser in the master bedroom. He hoped that earlier hadn't made his other favorite exotic upset. But...safety and the well being of his precious people were most important to him. And that included Naruto now, so helping him understand things he didn't even know existed were one of them.

He went down to the kitchen after unpacking and saw the familiar tail swishing back and forth over the top of the fridge. "You look just like you did when you were a kitten Sasuke. You were always a snacker. Not wanting a full dinner, but little things here and there." The human smiled as he went over to the cat and pet his ears. "I have some tuna for you...do you still like that?"

Sasuke snorted, he'd been called kitten quite a few times lately. But he couldn't help nodding anyway. "You make the best tuna salad," He said.

Iruka smiled. "Thanks, I make this just for you."

Sasuke remembered the days he spent here as a cub too. He loved this place; it felt safe- and he knew he was much calmer already. He loved being able to smell the trees and the grass and the lake. There were trails to explore, rocks to climb, the water and the forest animals to watch. He could even sleep in the trees and go for a walk on his own if he wanted to.

In contrast, everything was artificial in Konoha- all the buildings were so big and close together that it made him anxious. Even when he was outside with Kakashi, sometimes he still felt like he was trapped in a cage. Everything smelled like smog and rust and there was nothing green to look at. People were busier there too and everyone was grumpy and stressed out because everything moved so fast all around them. Even when he wasn't fighting, there were always places to go and people who needed money from them. It irked him that when he was in the city, even he got swept up in the commotion caused by humans and their obsessions with time and money.

He watched him dig through the fridge and the cupboards to find the things he needed for a moment.

"Do you miss being in the nursery? You always swore you'd never let Tsunade tie you to a desk..."

After Iruka grabbed the spices, mayo and can opener he went to the counter. He opened the tin cans and let the water drip out. He spooned the tuna bits into a bowl and then started opening containers. Now he mixed things together.

"Well, I started hearing about some trouble cases and I couldn't stop myself from helping them. Naruto was one of those cases, and now I saved him." Iruka smiled as he talked about the fox. "Do you want him as your mate Sasuke?"

Sasuke's ears pricked, his tail curled in confusion. Had he heard that correctly?

"I..." He paused, "I hadn't thought that far ahead yet..."

As if he already knew Sasuke wasn't done, Iruka calmly kept stirring the bowl.

"But I like him and I know I can protect him..."

Being both animal and human, hybrids usually adopted the ideas and attitudes of the humans closest to them. And Iruka was a firm believer in love and monogamy. Sasuke had never forgotten how sad the man was one night when he found out that he'd been cheated on. For four days, his ex boyfriend hadn't joined them after work at the cabin because he was in love with someone else.

"And I know I won't cheat on him."

Kakashi's seemingly endless string of female conquests never ceased to confuse Sasuke because he could tell by his scent that the one person he actually wanted was Iruka. Whenever they were together it was clear to him that Iruka felt exactly the same way, so he didn't understand why neither of the humans ever mentioned it.

He sighed, had he said enough? He wondered. Being inexperienced in casual relationships with other hybrids was awkward enough without trying to throw in the prospect of bonding himself permanently to the blond fox.

Beaming, Iruka mixed the bowl's ingredients for the last stir. He smiled and put the tuna salad on some toast. Before he handed the plate to his kitten, because he considered this exotic his even if the collar said another name. He had a special bond with Sasuke and no one could take that from them.

"That makes me feel good to hear you say that Sasuke, but...there are some things about my fox you don't know. I-" He paused. Unsure about what to say or how to say it exactly.

He tried anyway pulling the cat closer to him, petting him lovingly. "He has had one of the most horrible lives I've ever seen. He was confined in one room all his life with no contact with anyone. We found him on a puppy farm and they had bred him three times previously and sold the kits. Naruto didn't even get to see them and he was so scared when we found him. He didn't know anything about the world."

Still petting the cat Iruka put his cheek to Sasuke's ear nuzzling him. "Sasuke...be good to him..." Iruka couldn't tell the future but he knew there was a future with his two pets.

Sasuke let Iruka hold him, but growled low in his throat. He didn't know whether to feel more angry or horrified at the idea that someone had treated Naruto- or any hybrid that way.

"Easy, Sas'ke," Kakashi said softly, wrapping one arm around each of them. "That part of Naruto's life is over. He's safe now."

It sounded good, Sasuke wanted to believe that- he really did. But past experience had already taught him that things were never that simple when dealing with humans.

He trusted Tsunade and he liked many of the other people who worked in the Konoha Hybrid Protection Agency too, but they couldn't be everywhere. That was how his collar got tampered with...

He purred quietly, enjoying the close contact with his two beloved humans. But he just couldn't relax- even after he took his snack outside to the picnic table.

Naruto had filled the bathtub with more hot water twice already. He had a toy boat, fox, bubbles, and fish that squirted water out of it's mouth to play with. He probably has splashed water out of the tub and would have to clean it up but Iruka didn't care. He had told him almost daily it was the fox's job to play and have fun, to learn new things.

But after he looked at his wrinkly water logged paws his ears perked at someone being outside. There was a window open above the tub but if he just used his claws to prop himself up he would be able to peak outside and see who is was. It was the cat.

"Sasuke!" Naruto said out loud. But as he waved to the leopard on the porch he slipped, and screamed falling into the tub with a large sploosh.

Sasuke snorted, and leaned down gracefully, looking into the window. "Don't hurt yourself, Dobe."

As a feline, he loved being clean, but couldn't stand being wet any longer than absolutely necessary. The fact that the fox seemed busy clambering in and around the water every time Sasuke caught sight of him, gave him a headache.

The blond came up sputtering and Sasuke smirked to himself. "I can't believe I'm going to make you my mate..."

The fox had enough of the water after he had fallen back into the tub. Now the water was beginning to leak out past the closed door and out into the hallway. Iruka wouldn't like that. He pulled the drain plug and watched the whirlpool of water go down the hole. He pawed at it to make the swirling stop then the tornado came back. The last drops of water sucked down the drain and he got out of the tub finally and dried off.

By the time he was dry, so was the bathroom floor, so he put on his pajamas and went into the den.

Iruka was already in there and felt the fox bounce onto him. "All clean Naru?" The fox nodded and burrowed into the human's side.

Sasuke was enjoying the last of his snack when his ears heard a noise from the forest. He turned and saw only a raccoon scuttling around in the leaves but the same indistinct feeling of unease returned. He looked around for another moment and then went back inside.

Iruka and Naruto were in the kitchen area.

Kakashi was sitting on the sofa, with his book Sasuke purred as he stretched out lazily on the human's side. "Hey, who were you talking to on the phone that night? I know it was about me. So just tell me."

Kakashi sighed and put the book on his chest, leaving his hands free to pet Sasuke's ears. "Madara."

Sasuke stilled. That was the name of the man who owned his older brother, Itachi.

From the kitchen Iruka brought big bowls of popcorn. He had come to the realization that popcorn flowed through his household like water, Naruto loved the little kernels that much. On the farm he had a limited diet and when found had been under weight. Now though, he was at a healthy size and the human knew would grow more with the right nutrients.

"Come on Naru-kit." Iruka chided. But instead of the orange blur to roll into the den, it was a large ball of yarn. The sphere unraveled a bit at a time, leaving multicolored thread all over the living room rug. Naruto bounded for it, in his flannel pj bottoms and tshirt.

"I got you!" He squeaked!

The fox gnawed on the yawn, licking his lips as bits of fuzz were on his nose and whiskers. Orange tail fluttered in the air playfully. From the couch, Iruka smiled eating his popcorn. The kit would smell it eventually.

Sasuke shivered; he'd met Uchiha Madara several times since the man owned a lot of hybrid fighters and frequently attended their matches. He was on the KHPA's governing committee too though. And it had been Madara's words, not Iruka's or Tsunade's that had finally convinced the other council members that putting Sasuke to sleep would be a mistake.

He'd reminded them that the public was already distrustful of exotic hybrids because so many people had been fighting them illegally- outside the confines of an approved cage. The human spectators as well as many trainers had been regular casualties of this underground circuit. Sasuke was still only a cub, he'd said. And if even the KHPA believed it was already too late to save him, the public would likely begin to demand that all exotics should be put down. To stop the media's tirade about both the illegal fighting and the KHPA sheltering the "killer cub" they needed Sasuke alive. They needed him to demonstrate that even exotics with a history of violence toward humans could be tamed when handled properly.

Madara had technically saved his life that day, but Sasuke still didn't trust him. The dark haired man was a dangerous human- though it was purely instinct which told him that. His eyes were just not like those of most humans- they held too much cunning and he reminded Sasuke of a snake- or a starving tiger...

"Maybe I don't say it as often as I should, but I do love you, Sasuke. That bastard Madara can shove his money up his ass."

Content after hearing that, Sasuke noticed the fox rolling by the sofa with the ball of yarn but he snorted, closing his eyes. Sasuke's long tail snaked off the edge of the sofa, twitching just slightly against the rug.

Still playing the fox began to be tangled in the yarn. Strands wrapped around his claws and tail but not too tight.

The ball rolled towards the sofa but as soon as the ball was lost underneath part of the sofa another thing caught his eye. A thick black tail dancing slowly as if it was all for him.

He pounced on the tail, his claws gently held it down- not to scratch it but play. He nipped at it and rolled on the carpet with it.

Sasuke was just dozing off when the teeth raked the end of his tail. The nips were playful, but still sharp enough to get his attention.

Unlike other hybrids, Sasuke's tail was painfully sensitive. It had taken Tsunade three surgeries to save the appendage while he was a cub. He still couldn't sit on it without pain which was why he lounged all the time, and it ached heralding the approach of every thunder and snow storm within a fifty mile radius.

Naruto grinned and held on just tight enough to keep him from pulling it back out of reach so Sasuke pounced on him.

He made certain that he rolled to protect the fox from hitting the floor hard, then he pinned him easily. Unfortunately his hormones immediately noticed how good Naruto smelled and he began to purr even louder.

Laughing, Naruto still had a hold on Sasuke's tail. But after being pounced on, it slipped from his grasp. He felt the larger cat over him but knew from his purring everything was okay.

"Sasuke you purr loud." Naruto commented playfully. The fox batted a bit at the tag hanging down from the leopard's neck with a clawed paw. The shiny metal caught his attention fully glinting in the soft evening lamp light. His tail flitted around, the orange fluff hovered over the carpet but showed the fox's good mood.

"He had a tickle spot right on his lower sides Naru." Iruka commented from his comfy spot on the couch. At that bit of information the fox saw the exposed skin from underneath Sasuke's shirt and he went for it, fingers flying against pale skin.

Sasuke growled but the sound dissolved into giggling as he was tickled. Leave it to Iruka to give up a weakness like that...Luckily, he was still on top so it didn't take much to pin the fox again. "I like you too," Sasuke purred, leaning down to lick the soft skin of Naruto's throat. "My little fox, but playing with you like that makes me want to mate with you."

A clicking sound reverberated in Naruto's throat, his body a bit rigid. He felt like prey to the large cat and he didn't want that feeling. "But....Bu Sasuke we shouldn't mate." The foxes face blushed red as he pouted. He had to be the male Iruka told him he was. It was time to leave his baby side and be his own fox. Independent was the word his owner used.

Naruto didn't purr, he was a bit serious. But the paw so close to his belly made him a bit nervous. Sasuke was about to touch him there..."Sto..p." Naruto half whispered into the cat's ear. The blond didn't know that this was usually a tactic exotics used in a mating ritual; playing hard to get.

Sasuke nuzzled the fox, the intoxicating scent of the blond kept him purring though instinct told him that the living room floor wasn't the safest place to mate... He wondered if Iruka would try to stop them again but it was Naruto who said it first. Sasuke could tell that Naruto's body was interested, but the blonde's hesitation was unmistakably written in his eyes.

Sasuke growled.

_'Hormones are frustrating enough with a functioning collar! Several more weeks of this?'_ He prowled out of the room.

After he watched the cat angrily leave the room Naruto frowned. Had he done something wrong? Orange ears and tail drooped sadly to the carpet. Was this what he wanted? It was probably true.

"Come 'ere Naru." Iruka patted the couch beside him. Naruto looked to the human with sad blue eyes. He was so confused. The fox crawled up on the couch and buried his face into his owner's belly. With in a few minutes he was asleep. His day had been so long it finally caught up to him.

"I hope Sasuke is okay. His shots have suppressed his heat for so long I'm surprised he isn't worse." Iruka commented to the other human.

"Do you want to breed him?" He asked Kakashi.

Kakashi nodded. "Well, we've been trying to get him to stop fighting his body for years. If this is the only way, I figure I might as well let it happen. It isn't healthy for him to keep putting it off- but you know Sasuke. He's so stubborn it's ridiculous. He's always been too smart for his own good too. He's probably the only hybrid in the world who understands money and he knows to keep track of when he's supposed to get his shots. Sometimes he seems more human than Neko."

"You're right. It seems a bit strange." Iruka pondered over the issue but soon was distracted by the television. He shook his head after a minute and then looked back to the Hatake. The man was very handsome but Iruka never had the guts to pursue him. He had seen the man with a woman, so he had to be straight.

Kakashi sighed, looking at the brunet. "The timing on this whole situation with the fight worries me as much as it does Sasuke. "

Iruka nodded, and sighed tiredly as he took his hair down from the high pony tail he usually wore it in.

"Yes, but I think he just takes after his keeper." The brunette chuckled. "You're smarter than you let on as well- even though you want everyone to think you're just lazy and late all the time." The Umino idly petted his fox. He loved him so much and only wanted the best for the exotic. Being Sasuke's mate would be good for him, but not now. Not after he had just started talking, started to be a normal fox.

Kakashi grinned, "I never knew you noticed." Kakashi sat up though when he heard a noise in one of the bedrooms shortly after Sasuke came out of the bathroom. He was just about to get up and check on Sasuke when the leopard came out wearing black silk boxers and nothing else. He curled up beside Kakashi again and closed his eyes, purring.

The new sight certainly was surprising. "You look comfy Sasuke." Iruka commented. He wondered what was going on in the cat's mind and why his mood had changed so quickly. He petted Naruto's head while he heard the fox grumble in his sleep. The whiskers on his face twitched a bit while his tail slowly fell off the couch.

"Well, like you said, he takes after me..." Kakashi said. He grinned, shamelessly admiring his beautiful cat. "He really did grow up fast though didn't he? It seems like just yesterday he was hiding in cupboards and sleeping under the bed when it would thunder... You know, it's funny, but the more I think about it, the more excited I get about the thought of Sasuke finally mating. I mean just look at them; their cubs will be gorgeous."

Sasuke snorted and blushed when Iruka smiled too.

They watched television for a few more hours, both pets were fast asleep in their owner's laps and deep into dreamland. A pool of saliva that accumulated on Iruka's shirt was proof enough of the fox's slumber was restful. Gently standing, Iruka picked up Naruto. He held the fox close to his heart and rubbed his back. Tan arms and legs wrapped around the human's body. "Let's put them to bed." He said quietly.

Sasuke yawned and sat up as his pillow started moving. "Good night, Ruka-sensei. Thanks for inviting us here."

He didn't wait for a reply though, already heading for the bedroom he'd share with Kakashi. He loved camping- usually he would be sleeping in a tree. Tonight though, he wanted to be close to someone- even if it couldn't be the fox.

He heard Kakashi and Iruka exchange a few words and then everything settled down for the night.

**Author's note: ** The wild differences in the tone and mood of this chapter compared to the first one, was intentional. Hopefully no one will be too thrown off by it...


	3. A Day on the Lake

Chapter 3

It didn't take long for Iruka to be awoken by his very active pet. Ever since he had brought Naruto home, he had adopted a more regular sleeping pattern, as the fox was an early riser. The human smiled as he scratched behind his pet's ears and a leg began to shake. He chuckled, "Morning Naru." The fox nuzzled his owner's face lovingly as he was still tangled in the bed sheets. "How about I make some pancakes, ne?" Iruka asked knowing the fox would flip out.

"Pancakes!!" The fox fell out of the bed with a loud THUNK, and was out the door. Pancakes was the first dish Iruka had ever made for him and he loved them. All syrupy and fluffy. When Iruka hadn't gotten out of bed yet Naruto went back into the bedroom doorway and whined loudly. "Unnnn come onnnnn" He droned on, tail wagged irritated, ears pulled back. "Alright alright, I'm up." Even with that said, Naruto went to his human and pulled on a naked wrist. "Faster!" He urged Iruka on. It only made him smile and both bodies hurried down the steps towards the kitchen to start breakfast.

Sasuke woke up to the sound of birds chirping way too loudly right outside the bedroom window that had been left open the day before. His tail hurt. Which invariably meant it was going to rain today. He growled and rolled onto his side, but the room was also too bright with the curtains open to go back to sleep. He'd forgotten to shut them too the night before and now he regretted it.

Kakashi was still happily asleep; he didn't mind the sun shining in his face at home either. Still, he wasn't the only one awake. He could hear someone in the kitchen, no doubt Iruka trying to have breakfast ready. The brunet was a much better cook than Kakashi- especially if he was making pancakes and bacon.

Sasuke's body was more awake than his mind was, as usual- whether he was in heat or not. So, he prowled out of the bed and into the bathroom with a change of clothes. After getting his morning arousal under relative control, Sasuke didn't waste much time in the shower. Bathing four times yesterday was murder on his poor tail- the fur was silky and shiny, but its skin felt itchy and dry this morning so he tried not to get it wet this time. He dried off and then got dressed in a pair of cargo shorts and another tank top. He checked in on Kakashi and wasn't surprised to find him still sleeping. So he wandered into the kitchen where all the noise was coming from.

Iruka was just about to flip the first batch of pancakes when he heard someone else come in the kitchen. His head turned and smiled when he saw the leopard. "Morning Sasu." He said with a caring voice, but was distracted when the jumping fox beside him was looking into the pan.

"Faster, faster!" Iruka's eye twitched. He put the pan back on the stove after flipping the pankcakes. A stern gaze went to the fox and he folded his arms. "I know you want pancakes, but acting like that won't make them any faster. Make a better choice." The human went back to the pancakes and bacon while the fox's ears dropped, his back slumped and he frowned. "Okay." He said in a sad voice. Naruto was sad, he just really liked the pancakes, but he knew Iruka didn't need a 'cheerleader' as he had been told before.

"Morning," Sasuke smirked and sat down at the island. But he turned the chair backwards so the he wouldn't have to sit on his tail. "The birds are louder than I remembered with the windows open..." He watched Iruka continue cooking for a moment before he glanced at Naruto. Noticing that the fox still looked sad, he smirked and leaned over the back of the chair to grab two pieces of bacon. Iruka was quick to slap his hand with a spatula, but Sasuke still got away with the prize. He ate one and slid the other toward the fox.

Naruto watched as Sasuke took bacon from Iruka. He smiled when his human chastised the neko but blue eyes lit up substantially with the meaty treat. He munched on it happily, joining Sasuke at the island bar. The fox smiled widely. "Ne, Sasuke what are we going to do today?" Naruto asked, with a toothy grin.

He didn't know actually. Everything he could think of doing with Naruto had too much potential to end up like yesterday. While he was in heat the more time they spent together, the more likely it became that Sasuke was going to seduce him into mating... Of course, his body just had to be paying attention to that thought- his tail twitched in annoyance as his groin threatened to come to life again. The fox's innocently oblivious expression only irritated him more. Sasuke arched one eyebrow at Iruka and then slipped out the back door.

Naruto watched Sasuke leave and growled. What was up with him this time? He huffed, "Teme..."

Iruka saw his pets face. The fox's moods were always so up and down, but he knew why. Being apart from others and then thrust into society was very traumatic. He was surprised Naruto bounced back so well, however this was a side effect. "Naru, I'm almost done. Let's eat outside and then we can play." The human tried to sooth his pets mood.

It apparently worked because orange ears perked high into the air. Naruto loved it when Iruka played with him, almost as much as he loved pancakes. "Yay!" His fist went high into the air with glee.

"Good morning. You know," Kakashi said lazily from the doorway. "Avoiding the issue with Naruto isn't going to solve anything, Iruka. If anything, Sasuke will just start to avoid all of us." He turned toward the bathroom. "Anyway, I'll see you two after I've had my shower- if Sasuke left the rest of us any towels..."

Iruka glared heavily at the other pet owner. That pompous asshole, he would tell explain the things of life to Naruto in his own goddamned time. He was irritated now...fucking prick. He slammed a few plates around, but not enough to break. Next the fridge door thunked closed loudly. Iruka was a storm in the kitchen and brought everything he needed out to the picnic table on his screened in porch. Lightly under his break he mumbled about pompous people.

During his owner's tirade Naruto's ears lowered as he ducked under the island's wooden top. He hated it when Iruka was angry, that's when his tail usually was accidentally stepped on. He slunk out of the kitchen to follow his owner with breakfast.

From his vantage point up on the roof, Sasuke immediately got distracted out of his frustration by a family of deer. They were moving carefully through the undergrowth of the forest toward the lake. He crept to the edge of the roof watching the graceful creatures. They were utterly silent and their ears were so keen that they would hear any sound he made. As a cub he'd been able to get very close to them without being seen- but that wasn't going to happen this morning.

The deer and her fawn high tailed it for the deep forest when something clanged loudly in the kitchen. Sasuke pinned his ears back and growled. "Great. Kakashi, what do you say this time?" He followed the noise into the screened porch, ready to apologize for Kakashi's usual thoughtlessness.

Iruka set down breakfast and began to get plates ready. Like normal, his fox was bouncy again as he put syrup on a nice size pile of pancakes. He handed it to Naruto and sat down. "Eat up Naru, you need to gain some more weight if you want to get taller." Iruka told his pet. He nodded that he heard the human but was busy eating large bits of the fluff on his plate.

Both turned when Sasuke came to the table. Iruka handed him a plate and ate his food quietly. It was like that always whenever he got mad. He was loud for a burst of time before he was quiet and reserved, calculating.

"Thanks," Sasuke sat quietly at the table and ate, wondering how to break the silence. He felt bad about leaving the kitchen so abruptly- he just couldn't help it. His hormones just didn't understand that his human side was still reluctant to mate with someone he didn't really know. At least Iruka had settled down quickly from his little tirade. Usually that meant Kakashi was either right on target and that irritated the brunet- or he was just being tactless. Or both..."Whatever he said this time, I doubt he meant it..."

Iruka ate a piece of bacon and didn't look at the leopard. He tended not to make eye contact when he was pissed off.

"It's none of your concern Sasuke." He said in a soft tone, but it was apparent Iruka was still upset about the situation. He didn't necessarily want to shield the fox, just give him the chance to put his toes first into the pool of life. Iruka loved his fox, he didn't want Naruto to be hurt anymore. However, life in general was painful. So maybe he shouldn't guard him like he's been doing. Iruka sighed as he picked up his empty plate. As he went to go put the dish in the sink he looked over his shoulder to Naruto. "You behave yourself now. I'm going to the archery range."

Sasuke sighed and watched him leave, then he turned to Naruto. "I guess we'll leave him alone for a while." He finished eating and put his plate in the sink too. He scowled at his human when the man came out of the bathroom. "I don't know what you said this time, Kaka-sensei, but you shouldn't go near the archery range right now."

Kakashi grinned. "Well at least he was listening. So, what are you two lovebirds going to do today?"

Naruto was left alone out on the porch. He sat with a clawed hand on a full stomach. It looked even larger than normal! He growled unhappy, not liking the flabby skin. Iruka had told him to exercise more and it would go away, and added that most exotics were in the same 'boat' as him. The fox still didn't quite understand that saying but he listened anyway. Well, only one thing to do. Run around.

He cleared his plate, cleaned up what he could and let the screen door slam behind him. There was a large field beside the lake he swam in yesterday full of things to chase. The fox ran through the tall grass near the house and into the forest.

Sasuke was going to have to kick his human one of these days, he really was. _'Lovebirds?' _He rolled his eyes and wandered back outside.

He caught sight of Naruto in the meadow below and he just couldn't resist having a little fun with him. He was purring, his long tail twitched slightly as he crept into the tall grass toward the little fox...

There were just so many things here in the meadow. Naruto had chased some mice, ate one for fun, and now was onto the butterflies. The colorful insects would land on a flower only to have the fox pounce on them. Naruto would jump high into the air to catch them. But after gravity took it's effect he would land back on the ground only to see his prey fly off to someplace else. He growled playfully at them, and rolled in the grass. What time was it? The fox had probably been out there for at least twenty minutes playing. A small pink tongue slipped out of his mouth, panting.

Sasuke's ears and sense of smell tracked Naruto and his random bounds through the grass with relative ease. Keeping himself down wind of his reckless prey was trickier, but he was having fun anyway. He also had the advantage of being a better jumper, so he wouldn't have to let Naruto get very close at all to find an opening. The fox's playful antics stopped suddenly and Sasuke sprang the trap.

Perfect timing as usual. He bowled the blond over but rolled as always before pinning him down, to avoid the ground hurting him. Still purring, Sasuke couldn't help noticing how warm Naruto was and the way he smelled like the meadow. "Looks like you're stuck now," He smirked.

Out of nowhere Naruto's body tumbled over, rolling through the tall grass. What the hell!? After he opened his eyes from having them closed so tightly, the gaze above him was heavenly. The cat on top of him had the late morning sun behind his shoulder, birds above them, and the trees swayed with the light summer breeze. Naruto couldn't help but purr at such a great experience. "But what if I don't want to move?" The fox posed curiously, blue eyes wide now.

Sasuke arched one eyebrow at that... He'd been expecting some kind of struggle- or at least another protest. Why would Naruto want to stay like this if he didn't wasn't interested in mating with him? Unless he _was _interested and didn't want to admit it...

Sasuke was confused and frustrated, but not angry. His growl was soft and he nuzzled the fox. In spite of his violent past, the humans who'd raised him were unfailingly gentle and caring. He supposed it was natural then that he was drawn to a hybrid that he could be gentle with. Kakashi wouldn't have switched out his old collar if he was worried about him mating- hell, the lazy human had been trying to get him to "get laid" for years... And he even had Iruka's permission to mate with the fox! Sasuke just wasn't sure how to convince Naruto that it would be okay...

Exotic matings were famously short and often brutal but Sasuke didn't want to mate like that. When he was surrounded by the constant stress of the circuit, he'd refused to mate for so long because the only available choices were fighters who were pissed because they couldn't beat him in a fight! Why would he give anyone that much power over him if they just wanted to hurt and humiliate him with it? He could have mated, a lot of hybrids had wanted him as he grew up- but he never allowed his curiosity to get the better of him.

The cat's face was soft against his own. Naruto purred back into Sasuke's neck, the rumble in his chest loud. He was small for his age but that didn't mean he was tiny in other aspects. He purred loud, as well as had a growing attitude. Iruka was almost certain that the fox would be a loudmouth before a few months were up.

Still panting slightly Naruto sat up against Sasuke- the cat was letting him move. In a quick push the fox had the other exotic on his back, pushing tall grass and wildflowers aside for them. He admired the scarred but majestic body beneath him and the way that the muscles shifted under that silky skin with even the most subtle movements.

Stalking one's mate and learning to track their scent and movements was a form of courtship, so it was natural that Sasuke's need to mate had already returned full force before he'd even touched the blond this time. Sasuke's expression was confident; he opened his legs inviting the fox to settle on top of him. The warm body pressed against his was stirring his instincts just as powerfully as it had yesterday by the lake. He purred louder and grasped Naruto's hips because he needed more contact. When Naruto continued to purr and nuzzled his chest before moving up to lick his ear, Sasuke's body arched against him. The cat mewled softly and let his head fall back, exposing his vulnerable throat.

Naruto paused. The cat had shown his throat to him, that in of itself was big. Iruka had shown him videos about exotic's behavior and they made this action very ...what was the word, respectful. When a beta showed it's alpha their neck, the beta was submitting to his higher being. The fox's ears fall slightly, he was unsure of what to do. After a minute he leaned down slowly as not to scare Sasuke- as if he could of scared him with a body like this. But he bit down somewhat hard on the creamy colored flesh right beside his collar.

A pink wet tongue ran along the neck skin in his mouth. He was close to breaking the skin but refrained from doing so. Naruto's lower half pressed down on the cat's, a soft growl left his mouth. He was the alpha.

_'He understood this time!' _Sasuke arched again, still purring loudly. He liked the fox's teeth on his neck and the way his hips felt against his arousal. The cat kept purring too, further proof that he trusted him and wanted to be close to him. His tail wrapped itself around Naruto's leg in another attempt to draw him closer.

Dizzy, Naruto pressed harder into Sasuke, both their erections moved behind jean fabric. The fox wanted to, needed to touch the body underneath him. Two clawed hands strongly scratched down Sasuke's front with a 'skrit' sound. One hand gently massaged the cat's belly, it was hot to the touch! The other found a pert bud on the scarred chest and flicked it.

"You're so warm Sasuke." Naruto said authoritatively. His orange ears stood up high, hearing his beta's breathing become labored.

"That's why they call it being in heat, Dobe..." a bemused Sasuke purred. The cat was so busy purring and enjoying Naruto's touch that he had barely whispered it, but he was pretty sure the fox heard him anyway.

Sasuke bucked his hips when Naruto nipped the nipple he'd been playing with. He liked playing like this, but he was already so hot that it was hard to stop himself from reversing their positions again. He wanted to feel more of the fox's body against his, so he took off his shirt and tossed it into the grass.

Blue eyes gazed on the flesh revealed to him. There were scars littered along Sasuke's chest and sides. Some were deeper than others but he leaned down and ran his tongue against some of them. It was almost as if he wanted to lick them away and heal his new beta. His sharp teeth nipped and played with the hot chest but his lower half didn't forget the need below him. Naruto's hand went lower, to wrap around the hardened length and squeeze. This was what they mated with, his mouth went dry and he licked his lips to moisten them.

Sasuke moaned loudly, his whole body arching into the fox's hand. He liked that, but they still had too many clothes on. He growled and tugged the blond's shirt over his head and then latched onto one of the fox's nipples, gently sucking and tugging on it with his teeth. "Mine..." The cat growled softly. He wrapped his arms around the fox and pressed their hips together again. He purred, grinning mischievously when Naruto groaned too.

It felt so much better to not have his shirt on, but that meant that Sasuke would see his stomach. Naruto put a hand over it so the cat couldn't see. But he kept his ministrations up. A tan hand snuck into the other exotic's pants, underneath silk boxers and touched the hardened flesh. Naruto's hips pressed against Sasuke's thigh and started a rhythm. It was slightly erratic but the friction sent sparks of electricity down the fox's spine.

For a while now Sasuke almost thought he heard something in the distance- like thunder, the dull but powerful ache in his tail seemed to agree with his ears. But as they got more into touching each other, it was hard to think of anything but pleasure. He mewled and tilted his head up to nuzzle the blond. He'd never done this before but already knew that this time his body was going to be harder to distract than yesterday. Sasuke still didn't understand why the blond had scooted away from him then, but he would worry about that later.

He heard a shower breaking out over the meadow, but he growled. Keeping Naruto close as the rain washed over them, even this wasn't going to stop them right now. Sunset colored ears turned back to shield themselves from the rain water, but the sunny shower felt nice. His hand kept pumping, and pumping. He watched the cat arch into his touch. A clawed thumb pressed into the wet cock's head and lathered the flesh with precum.

"Oh...Sasuke..." The fox groaned as the hot friction in his jeans pressed him closer to orgasm simply by humped at his potential lover's leg. Naruto couldn't help himself but bite onto the exotic again, growling possessively. "Mine!!"

Sasuke whimpered, but tipped his head back again at the bite. His body was made for rough play like that. But with his lungs gasping for air, he snarled when he suddenly tasted an unfamiliar scent! The cat froze- the scent was strong- meaning it was close. His muscles rigid and tense as he tried to get his bearings and figure out where the scent was coming from... It was a human scent! It came toward them from the lake and it was getting closer. Sasuke arched his back and twisted his body, pinning Naruto beneath him easily with a long, low growl.

"Hey, wait up! This thing's heavy!" Called an unfamiliar voice. There were at least two humans and by now they could both hear their boots catching in the long grass as they jogged through the meadow. There was also the sound of ice water sloshing around inside a cooler as they carried it.

As soon as the humans were gone, Sasuke poked his head up over the grass and looked around. The sudden shower had sent the two humans scurrying for cover. It would be dangerous to be out now if this weather persisted and Sasuke was ready to head for the cabin. "Let's go."

Naruto was on edge, his claws went to grab for Sasuke's arms. He knew he wasn't a fighter- what if there had been another exotic with them! They would've been caught for sure and what if they got into a fight? He didn't even really know about Sasuke's potential in that field. The fox curled up underneath the cat's body, hovering between the legs and arms. Safe here he looked out between the powerful arms that were stiff and at the ready.

Nodding, Naruto looked up worriedly into the black eyes of the leopard. "Yeah, I don't want to be outside anymore."

Feeling Naruto's claws on his arm, Sasuke nuzzled him. He didn't purr- that had been too close. His instinct to protect the fox had just been tested but he didn't want to frighten him more so his growl was a soft one. It wouldn't be good to be caught outdoors without at least one of their humans nearby. Most humans were instinctively afraid of unfamiliar exotic hybrids, because they had no way to tell the bad tempered fighters from their more affectionate counterparts.

He held the fox for only a few more moments, but Sasuke was still surprised by how calm he was after he let go. He licked the blond's ear and then smirked as he led him by the hand back toward the cabin. Naruto was slightly nervous and jumpy on the way back home, but since Sasuke was with him it wasn't as bad as he anticipated. Now he had his shirt back on and trailed the cat through the tall grass that led to the back porch. Once inside the porch the fox shook all the excess water from his hair and tail, getting drops on the cat's shirt and black hair.

Rushing inside, Naruto slammed the door to the cabin a little too loudly. Iruka had been sitting in the den by himself imersed in a large novel. The human looked up to see a wet fox and leopard. "Naru, go get changed so you don't get things wet." Iruka called out to his pet. "Okay," Naruto said back as he headed up the stairs to his shared room with the owner.

Sasuke didn't shake himself off. He grinned at Iruka on the way down the hall though. "Looks like we're stuck inside for now."

He got to his room and changed quickly as he noticed that Kakashi wasn't in there. He wasn't in the bathroom either. "Do I need to worry that you buried my idiot human in the back yard, or did he just go to town?"

Iruka looked up from his book, eyebrow raised. "I haven't touched your human," his voice was tired. He had been out at the archery range for a good two hours. Nothing was better than a good workout and then sitting and reading a book to compliment his day. "Let alone, bury him in the backyard. There would have been a fresh mound of dirt...now wouldn't there? And you would have smelt it Sasuke. Don't be silly." Iruka chided.

Sasuke nodded and crawled up on the sofa with him, purring. "I know but I can't help it when I know you want him and you still won't say it," Sasuke sighed. "He doesn't mean to push all your buttons that way. Sometimes he's just too lazy to be nice." He rubbed his head on Iruka's shoulder, still purring.

Iruka grabbed the cat's ear and tugged on it a little hard. It was playful but also to show who was boss. Grinning, Sasuke allowed himself to be wrestled onto his back across Iruka's lap. Still purring, he pawed the thick book out of his face without loosing the page. He loved being close to this man, he kept purring, and nuzzled his hand. "When did you get so perceptive?" The man grumbled.

Sasuke snorted. "I've always been able to tell by your scent. It's just that- well, I'm not exactly mated either yet, you know..."

Soon his hand was stroking the ear he had just abused. Iruka sighed, "I've liked him for so long- I just can't go up to him and say, 'Hey, let's go on a date?' when he likes women." The human shook his head.

"Of course you can. Kakashi likes whatever is available," The cat grumbled, licking the end of his tail. "He's just afraid you're too good for him."

Iruka's face scrunched up. He didn't know if he could be so blunt with the other pet owner. That just wasn't in his nature. A hand rubbed the cat's belly, the flesh still warm from his heat. "You be careful with my fox, he's been through so much- I wouldn't stay to see him hurt and broken like when I found him." Iruka warned slightly. "I love you Sasu but now I have another person to love too." He looked down into the cat's charcoal colored eyes, and felt the purring in his legs.

Sasuke nodded, his ears pointed sharply toward the man. He understood that- after all, he had two humans. When he was younger, he'd hated being so attached to anyone after he'd been so badly treated by his first handler- yet it remained undeniable. He had learned to love Kakashi and his bond with Iruka was unbreakable too; each would always be important to him. He'd been dangerously possessive of both Iruka and Kakashi for a while. But as he grew up, it became apparent that just like they accepted that he loved them both at the same time, it was ok that they had different bonds with others too.

It wasn't worth getting jealous over. Well- unless Sasuke was getting ready for a fight, then his animal side didn't see _anything _that evenly anymore. Human masters weren't like mates- although he knew he would die to protect either of them, they were still in charge. And it was his job to respect their decisions and feelings. "I don't want to hurt anyone," He said simply.

Iruka leaned down and nuzzled the leopards face, his hair hung down to frame Sasuke's forehead. "I know you don't." He giggled as he knew this was one of Sasuke's favorite past times. A twitch on the cat's cheek and paws was certain he wanted to. But Iruka saw on his face if he should be like a kitten again. The human swung the chocolate locks around a bit. "Come on...I know you wanna."

Distracted by the chocolate brown hair dangling in his face, Sasuke's ears twitched. He reached up with his clawed hands and batted at the silky strands, purring loudly. They were disappointingly easier to catch than they had been when he was a cub, he noticed. But he loved to cuddle and play like this. Because Iruka wasn't afraid of him- he never had been...

Chuckling, Iruka moved his head up to smile down at the leopard. A quick kiss on his forehead and the human rubbed Sasuke's chest. It was still damp from the rain but almost dry. "We should go fishing on the boat again." Iruka posed the question. "Go out into the river and up to where the big fish are...you used to be so scared of them." He smiled.

Sasuke nodded, purring. "Scared of falling in and getting eaten, you mean. That stupid fish thought my tail was food..." He grumbled just thinking back on it. He still wasn't sure how sturdy the little row boat was, but he wasn't a cub anymore. Iruka and Kakashi had taught him that new things and unfamiliar situations weren't something to be nervous about.

"Well, I'm sure you'll be glad to know that the little boat I had when you were a cub had a hole in it and I bought a different boat. One we don't have to row." He smiled. "We can make an all day event of it and fish for a long time. Naruto could go swimming and you can get some sun." A human hand caressed the pet's chin.

Sasuke nodded, glancing out the window. "I think the rain stopped, we could probably go now if you want to."

Iruka's eyes looked up as he thought about that suggestion. It was a good idea...and right now the asshole was no where to be found. It would be just him and the boys. "If you want, go get Naruto and I'll start getting things ready for the boat." The human pushed the cat off of him and onto the side of the couch. He had lunch to make and pack before they could even think about leaving.

Sasuke nodded and went to find the fox.

He knocked on the bedroom door. "Naruto? Iruka is taking us out on the lake today. We're going on a boat ride so put on your swimming trunks."

Naruto had been in the bathtub for a while now. He had gotten in and ran a bubble bath, played for about a half hour and was all squeaky clean. He had cleaned up the bathroom and sat on his and Iruka's bed watching television. A show about jobs that were dirty had come on and he couldn't stop watching it. "Whaaat?" Naruto called from his spot on the bed, he couldn't understand the voice on the other side of the door. It didn't help that he was rolled up in all the blankets like a nest.

When the fox called out to him, Sasuke rolled his eyes and pulled the door open. Naruto was all curled up in the blankets and the tv was on. "Turn that noise down. Let's go," He said. "Iruka is getting things ready so we can go on a boat ride today." He glanced at the clock on the wall and wondered how much longer Kakashi would be gone. "You like to swim so you should put on your swimming trunks."

The fox scrambled off the bed, but fell to the floor with a loud thunk. He yelped but stood, shaking the bedding off of him. "Okay, okay." He called to the cat at the door.  
Naruto went to the dresser in the corner of the room and grabbed his swim trunks. Not even caring if Sasuke was still there, he pulled down his house pants and stood there half naked. He held up the trunks and realized they were the wrong ones. Back at the dresser Naruto pulled out the pair he wanted and slipped them on.

"Dobe..." He purred. Watching his future mate suddenly strip in front of him made him hot. The temptation to touch the blond was very strong, but he didn't allow himself to move toward the oblivious fox. Iruka trusted him to give his pet more time and Sasuke was determined to try. That was why he turned and locked himself in the other room. The outfit Sasuke settled on was a pair of swimming trunks that he didn't intend to get wet, and another tank top.

Once dressed, he wandered out into the kitchen where Iruka was busy packing food for a picnic. "Do you need any help?"

Iruka had just finished putting tuna salad sandwiches into a cooler as well as some drinks. "I think if you could grab our fishing rods and tackle that would be everything." Iruka looked over his shoulder as he picked up the strap for the food. He went towards the back door but called up stairs to his pet. "NARU!," he hollered. "Hurry up or we will leave you here!" The human teased.

Thunder resounded in the house as Naruto bounded down the stairs. He was all smiles and happiness when he reached the botton step, ears high, tail wagged.

"Finally," Sasuke grinned. He carried the fishing gear out to the boat and held it. He waited until Iruka had the food settled and was ready to stow it away next. Once all their stuff was in place, Iruka grinned at Sasuke and started untying the mooring lines.

"Get in, Naruto."

Once they were in, Sasuke pushed the boat away from the dock and jumped in too. Naruto stood on the edge of the bow and looked down at the water as he felt Iruka start the engine. They glided out from the dock and onto the wide lake, the fox's orange fluffy tail swayed in the wind. He squinted his eyes from the breeze and his ears turned to keep the sound muffled. The fox laughed out loud, feeling free on the boat. He turned around and rushed back to Iruka, burrowing into his side, but not enough to keep him from driving the boat.

It was windy and Sasuke felt like holding onto something... he hadn't counted on the boat going this fast! And the fact that they were rocking in the water was a little unnerving too- if they hit something they couldn't see, they'd get wet for sure! But, rather than worry about that, he told himself that Iruka knew what he was doing.

Iruka took them for a spin around the inlet west of the cabin and then he headed for the place where he liked to fish. Once there, he shut down the motor and dropped the anchor.  
Once the boat stopped, Sasuke relaxed. He lay down on the sun warmed vinyl and dangled one arm over the edge to touch the water.

Naruto's ears were perked and half his body was draped over the side of the boat. He wanted to swim so bad, but Iruka warned him that if he did that the fish would be scared away. So, the fox had to wait. Damn. He looked over the side and saw so many things in the water. There was salt particles, tiny, tiny fishies and sea weed. Something poked him in the side and Iruka smiled as he handed the fox a fishing pole. "Here you go Naru. It's already baited so I'll show you how to cast it."

The fox swung the tip around a bit and saw that a jelly-like fake worm was on the end. Holding it in his hand he watched the human press and button, bring it behind his back and then flicked it out letting up on the button. Naruto saw the fake worm fly away from the boat.

"Wow Naruto, that was really good. Now you slowly, slowly reel it back in!" Sasuke didn't like to fish nor was he interested in watching. The sun was warm, the sound and motion of the water was nice and the breeze was cool. Sasuke liked the way that he could see so much of the lake and the busy shore from the water. The humans in the distance looked like ants, but there were other boats on the river today too.

He liked the combination of the warm sunshine and the fact that it was so quiet and peaceful on the boat. All in all he decided he liked the new boat better than the other one. In the old one it used to take almost an hour to get over here. Mostly because the small outboard motor had only worked when it felt like it, so they always had to bring the oars and be ready to row...But, the motion of the water was so soothing that Sasuke finally decided to take a nap. He closed his eyes, vaguely listening to Iruka praise the fox for his casting. He was startled completely awake though when something sharp snagged the end of his tail and yanked!

The loud shrill squeal made both Naruto and Iruka turn around towards where the cat napped. Naruto looked up to his fishing line and saw the hook and worm had found it's way to Sasuke's tail and pulled hard. The fox rushed over and had a sad look on his face. "Oh my god Sasuke, I'm so sorry!"

Iruka went over after he had placed his rod and reel on the side of the boat and grabbed a first aid kit he had handy. This would be tricky.

Sasuke growled and tried not to move his tail. This had happened once before. So he already knew he had to resist the urge to soothe the wound by licking it. Unfortunately his tail had other ideas; it kept twitching restlessly because of the pain. He growled at Naruto, but allowed the fox to sit next to him. "You released the button before you cast this time, didn't you?"

Naruto looked guilty but took the cat's paw into his and watched Iruka for what seemed like the thousandth time.

The human took the first aid kit and a pair of plyers. He brought the tool to Sasuke's tail and snipped the barbed end of the hook off. Then did the same with the nylon fishing line. Now all that was left was a piece of metal through his kitten's tail. "Okay Sasu, I'm going to push it through and you'll be free of the hook." Iruka pushed the metal out and it bled freely now. He brought a clean gauze to the tail and dabbed a bit of antiseptic on it.

Sasuke grunted and then sighed. That was much easier than when he was a cub- he'd been restless and frightened, crawling all over the boat whenever Iruka got near him with the nippers. "Thanks," he yawned.

The warm sun was relaxing him back into taking a nap it looked like. Sasuke wasn't sure that was a good idea right now though. "Iruka-sensei? Can we turn on the radio?"

The human nodded. He went over to the water-proof radio where the steering wheel was and turned it on. Oldies rock came on and Naruto's ears perked up. Iruka liked this music and he had grown to appreciate it too. His tail swayed back and forth he cast the line of his fishing pole.

Iruka went to the small cooler and got out a few sandwiches for his boys. "Tuna salad for the both of you. And turkey for me." He said happily. In the back of his head he wondered where the other human was. But then quickly dismissed it, he shouldn't be caring about the other pet owner in the least. He was an asshole.

Sasuke ate happily, while watching the shore and a couple of small sail boats. He wasn't particularly interested in the music, as much as he just wanted something to listen to. With their minds on fishing, the pair weren't a very lively bunch at the moment. The end of his tail twitched in time with the songs that played on the radio.

"That was a great song, but hybrid fight fans everywhere might get the news we've been waiting for shortly. I was just informed that Hatake Kakashi has just called a press conference in Konoha regarding the status of his Neko, Sasuke. We'll bring you the details as they become available." Sasuke growled as another song started.

Naruto turned around, half of a sandwich hung from his mouth. "That was talking about you Sasuke?" He asked curiously.

Sasuke nodded, still growling a little. He'd never asked to be famous...

Iruka turned back to his first pet and frowned. He wondered if the cat knew what they would talk about on the radio. "Sasuke-chan, do you know what Kakashi is going to announce in his...press conference?" He asked curiously. The human was worried about his neko and didn't want him upset, especially on their boat ride. "Do you want me to turn it off?" Iruka asked.

"He didn't tell me anything... but then I thought the announcement must have been made while I was unconscious." He was surprised, actually- that Kakashi had bothered to wait for him to wake up in the hospital at all. No other owner on the circuit would've done that, but then Kakashi had always treated him as a pet rather than a fighter. "We should leave it on, Tsunade might want to talk about the investigation too."

Iruka nodded, casting his line again. There hadn't been any bites today but he had a feeling there would be something soon.

Naruto huffed, he didn't want to fish anymore. He put down his pole where the others were and softly slipped into the water. He didn't want to scare away any of the fish for Iruka. He just didn't want to fish at the moment. The fox dove down from the surface and looked at all the things underneath the boat. There was a lot of thick green algae, little tiny fish and crabs. He swam down and poked at one.

Sasuke listened absently to the songs on the radio, still bobbing his tail to the music. He rolled onto his side. "I'm getting a soda- do you two want- uh, Iruka-sensei. I hope the dobe knows not to swim into your fishing line." Sasuke picked up Naruto's fishing pole, and noted that the lure had not been reeled in, it was just set aside. "Or his..."

Naruto came back up to the surface, crab in his clawed hand. He attempted not to get pinched and threw the thing onto the boats deck. "Look Sasuke look! I caught a crab!" The poor blue crab looked very angry to have been brought up off the bottom of the river. His pincers were snapping as he scuttled along and it's mouth bubbled.

The little crustacean's proportionately long legs tapped awkwardly on the deck as it tried to move around on the slick vinyl- probably looking for the water. Sasuke's tail twitched unhappily and he shuddered, it looked slimy and disgusting! He only hunted things with fur- or feathers! He wasn't letting the thing near him. He recoiled and climbed up toward the bow of the boat. Sasuke glared down at the crab, and it's eye stalks extended as it glared back. The cat growled and it urped a bubble at him. Thoroughly disgusted, Sasuke didn't want to hurt it, but he was going to get rid of it. He carefully poked it with the end of Naruto's fishing pole, nudging it off the boat toward the water.

Naruto frowned, "I wanna eat it! Don't push it off yet!"

The fox barreled towards the crab to keep it from going back to it's home. But Naruto slid past it and back into the water. He sputtered and hung onto the side of the boat. The crab was at the edge, he starred the fox down.

Meanwhile, Iruka was laughing so hard at both of them, that there were tears in his eyes.

Naruto didn't know what to do now, did he bite it? Would it move? But all of those questions were answered when the crab's pincer grabbed onto an orange water logged ear. Naruto screamed at the hard pinch and dunked under the water. He came back up, leapt onto the boat but the crab still hung from his ear.

That slimy little monster was showing remarkable fighting spirit. Sasuke snorted, but he wasn't about to interfere. He was just glad it hadn't managed to latch onto him that way. The fox reached up and whimpered as he tried tug the thing off of his ear, but the crab's other insect-like legs flailed frantically, keeping his fingers away. "_That _is why you aren't supposed to play with your food, Dobe." Sasuke glared at the little crab- he still didn't trust that little monster and he was also too disgusted to understand why Iruka found the situation so humorous.

Naruto whined when he stopped moving. Iruka quit laughing long enough to come over to his pet and pried the crab's pincher off of the fox's abused ear. He moaned loudly in pain, the claw had cut some of his fur away and made it bleed a bit. The fox nuzzled into Iruka's chest and pouted. "It hurts Ruka.."

The human pet his fox on the undamaged ear and kissed his forehead. "Well, it will hurt for a while. You need to stay out of the water for now." Naruto nodded sadly. He went to the front of the boat and laid down, eyes glued on the water.

Sasuke grabbed a couple of sodas out of the cooler and sat down beside Naruto. He handed one to the fox. "He just doesn't want you to get tangled up in the fishing lines. You're lucky they didn't already get you while you were playing with that crab."

The radio crackled a little as another song ended. "Well," The DJ sighed, his voice was heavy with disappointment. "Looks like it is official- the rumor has been confirmed. Kakashi has decided that his Neko, the Lightweight division champion, Uchiha Sasuke will not be returning to the arena this year! That is sad news indeed for all of us who have been hoping to see Sasuke break Hoshigaki Kisame's long standing record of 215 victories. Kakashi told reporters that Sasuke is perfectly safe right now and deeply grateful for the support of his fans, but announced that the leopard needs a long break from his busy fighting schedule in the ring."

"Regarding the interference in what we now know could be Sasuke's final victory... Sarutobi Hiruzen, a spokesman for the KHPA, said that the investigation remains on going and the police are taking every lead seriously. He went on to add that the entire KHPA is deeply saddened by the semi-retired status of its brightest star. But he added that they want Kakashi to give Sasuke all the time he needs to recover. In the mean time, the Agency will continue doing all they can to help the police resolve the investigation quickly."

Naruto listened to the radio as Iruka turned it down. The music now was just for background noise. The fox looked to Sasuke, he seemed angry...but underneath kinda sad. The blond felt that way before Iruka came and found him. He went over to the cat and nuzzled his face, sure that he smellt salty from the water. Naruto layed in Sasuke's lap and played with a piece of string, paws crazy to conquer it. He didn't know exactly what to say in the situation but knew his actions were better than anything he could have imagined.

Sasuke sighed, unable to decide if he should feel relieved or disappointed that he might never have to fight again... The press had been making a big deal out of comparing his performance records to Kisame's for months. Ever since Sasuke had shattered the huge shark hybrid's record for the most consecutive victories, he'd been the subject of more attention than ever...Naruto's antics were cute but he had spent so much of his life immersed in the human world that he wasn't sure that he could ever be a normal hybrid if he retired anyway... Could their lives really stay as peaceful as they were right now? He doubted it. Sasuke took a sip of his soda and absently petted Naruto's undamaged ear. He wondered why Kakashi had gone all the way back to Konoha to make such a small announcement. "Iruka-sensei? Why did he leave me here this time? I've been to dozens of press conferences with him... Are we supposed to be hiding here?"

The human looked over his shoulder and back to his first pet. "I think he just wants you to relax. You've had a stressful few years, you know. Staying here with us should help you." He smiled as he cast his line back into the river.

Naruto's back arched over the cat's lap as he played with the string. His shirt came up and revealed his somewhat flabby stretchy stomach. He blushed and pulled the fabric back over it. Whining slightly, he played with the string some more.

Sasuke's ears pricked curiously. Why was Naruto's stomach like that? He hadn't really noticed it before, but he knew that most exotics were capable of breeding by the time they were two years old, but hadn't Iruka said Naruto was locked in a tiny room all his life? He slipped a hand under the fox's shirt, touching the soft skin there.

"You didn't tell me you already had a family..." His voice was very soft. "Did your mate die? Is that why you were afraid to touch me?"

Naruto had the string in his mouth but when the cat mentioned his kits he lost the playfullness. Sighing he didn't look at Sasuke, but sat up facing away from the leopard. "I-I never had a mate." He brought his knees up to his chest. From the side of the boat Iruka reeled in his line. He was proud of his pet for finally verbally coming to terms with his loss.

"I never got to see my babies either. Where I was," He stopped to get his strength. "It was all done by a machine and I had three litters..." Naruto felt the tears roll down his face. "Iruka doesn't even know how I learned to talk so fast, because I never talked to anyone before him. He sat with me the past three weeks non-stop just talking." He wiped his eyes.

Sasuke was confused- he'd seen a lot of different kinds of machines, but never anything that could make or have babies... He turned and looked at Iruka. The human nodded sadly but said nothing- just listening quietly. Sasuke huffed, but crept closer to the fox. He hated not knowing exactly what was going on. But seeing Naruto sad and in pain was worse. "I don't think I understand, but I like the way you talk, Naruto." Sasuke said, nuzzling the fox from behind. "And I'm glad you don't already have a family, because I want you to be my mate."

Naruto looked back over his shoulder, eyes red rimmed but he tried to smile. "You want Naruto to be you're mate?" He asked a little out of proper grammar. He turned around, ears floppy, even the one that was pinched by the crab.

Sasuke nodded confidently. "Yes, I already consider you mine. But I shouldn't touch you right now, because Iruka would not like it if I pounced on you right here..."

"Yeah," the fox looked to his owner. "Iruka-papa wouldn't want that....I don't want that right now either. Naruto wants to be Naruto." The words were not the most mature but the meaning was there. The fox wanted to be himself, something that he could never do locked away from the world.

Sasuke was confused so he cocked his head and his ears flicked back and forth between Iruka and the fox. "Aren't you Naruto right now? I'm always Sasuke- even if it gets me into trouble sometimes..."

The blond cocked his head to the side. "Well...before Iruka found me...I wasn't Naruto. I was 00356 and I hated that. But, when I went home with Ruka, he gave me a name." The fox said happily. "Before then I wasn't who I am now...I became a new fox." His ears stood up high and proud.

"So you're called Naruto because you are a fishcake?" Sasuke purred mischievously. He licked the fox's ear and then pushed him over- not hard just playfully. When the blond's head bumped the picnic basket, Sasuke sighed. "I guess we can't play till we get home... but I'm glad you're here too."

Blue eyes rolled back in his head in an exaggerated manner, and he rubbed his head. It didn't hurt, just annoyed him. "I'm not a fishcake, I'm Naruto." He said as a matter of factly, with a head nod. His tail swayed playfully right underneath Sasuke's nose. The blond peaked his head into the picnic basket, tail still teasing the leopard.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "That is the meaning of your name, Dobe. Did Iruka tell you it can also mean maelstrom, that's what you mind me of. Because since we met I haven't thought about anything else..."

The long tail waving almost hypnotically in his face had leaves in it and after he saw that, Sasuke snorted but couldn't resist grasping the poofy tail and grooming it- thoroughly. He held the fox down and carefully made sure that the brilliant orange fur was clean and shiny.

Naruto dug out some potato chips from the basket and sat still while the cat groomed him. He couldn't help but twitch the root of his tail a few times whenever it would tickle. When the leopard stopped he leaned over and started to lick Sasuke's hair. It was already shiny but he wanted to make it pretty. The fox kept going around the proud ears.

Sasuke couldn't remember when he'd last wanted another hybrid to groom him. But rather than growl like he did whenever Itachi wrestled him down, Sasuke found himself purring- loudly. He leaned into the blond, purring and nuzzling him contentedly as he started to fall asleep.

A few more licks and Naruto was done, the best grooming he had ever done! He looked forward, "Sasuke?" The leopard was purring while he snoozed. It was cute. The fox pawed over his friend, he didn't want to say mate yet. That would jinx it! And went over to his owner.

"Iruka, would Sasuke be a good mate for me?" He asked coyly. These things confused him and couldn't think them through.

Iruka grinned and ruffled the fox's hair. "He's a fierce fighter- and he's smarter than a lot of the humans I've met. That's why he's famous. But Sasuke also has a gentle side that very few people have ever been lucky enough to see. What does your heart tell you when you look at him?"

Naruto looked back at the leopard. He starred, watched his chest rise and fall. Next it was his face, ears... "That he fits me...I can't explain it yet." He smiled none the less and leaned into the human's side. the fox watched his human cast the line again, the bobber on the string bouncing along the water's surface.

"Sounds to me like that is good enough for now." Iruka smiled. He checked his watch- and a sharp tug on the line almost made him drop the fishing pole! He grasped it with both hands as the fish nibbling on the bait suddenly tried to swim off with it. Excited, Naruto stood to watch Iruka reel in the fish. "Get it Ruka! Get that fish!" He cheered on his human. A fist pumped into the air.

Iruka pulled the pole and reeled in at the same time. "Oh, I'll get it Naru." Iruka said surely. It took a while but after careful pulls and tugs the fish was in a net that the fox held over the side of the boat. "It's so big! Yaya! We have this for dinner??" Naruto asked the human.

Sasuke yawned, growling a little at being roused from yet another nap by the excitable fox. Still the fish was a big one, it wasn't likely to be comfortable in the boat's holding tank. "I think we should head back if you're keeping that one."

Iruka nodded and closed the lid, then he started the motor. "We didn't lose anything did we?"

"Nope," Sasuke purred, "The little fishcake is still here."

"Hey! My name is Naruto." He huffed. This whole fishcake buisness wasn't funny to him. Ignoring the leopard he sat up in the passenger seat of the boat next to his human. Salt water spray came and frothed the sides of the boat and in the hair of its occupants.

Once they got back to the dock behind the cabin, Sasuke took a moment to stretch on dry land before he started helping Iruka unload the coolers, picnic basket and fishing gear off of the boat. Once everything was safely inside he made sure all of the cold stuff was put back into the refrigerator- he'd let them clean the slimy fish. He glanced at Iruka. "I'll be in the big catalpa tree out back if you need me."

Iruka nodded to the leopard and waved at Naruto to come with him. This would be the first time Naruto would clean fish.

They brought the cooler to a table set up in back with a long wooden top. Iruka took out some of the fish from their storage place and put them on the table. "Now Naru, take your knife and I want you to cut his head off."

"What?!" The fox exclaimed. "I have to do that?" He whined. "Yes, now get your own fish and we will do it together."

"Okay," Naruto grumbled. "Now, cut the head off." Naruto did so. "Next you use your knife and cut off the fins." The process went on until no more fish were left. And Naruto was pretty good at it by the end, Iruka thought to himself. "Now, what do you say to us having a fish fry later?" The fox yipped and ran into the house to clean up after cleaning fish.

Sasuke yawned as he stretched out on a thick tree limb. He liked this kind of tree the best. It wasn't a really tall tree compared to the neighboring evergreens, but each leaf was enormous- in mid summer, each leaf grew to the size of a large dinner plate and had a rich, deep green color. With the two foot long seed pods dangling from its branches, the Catalpa tree looked like something out of the jungle or a tropical rain forest. With the huge leaves forming a billowing canopy to keep the sun off of him, he fell asleep quickly.

Some time later, Sasuke was awakened by the sounds of someone pushing their way through the bushes and long grass below. With a yawn, Sasuke took in the scent of a few hybrids. They weren't familiar, but at least two of them were domestics.

"Woah!" Called one of the new arrivals. The tromping noises stopped and Sasuke's tail twitched in amusement as a wolf hybrid that couldn't be more than a year and a half old, growled up at him.

Konohamaru had hated the ride to the cabin. It was long and REALLY boring. Plus when Moegi and Udon fell asleep he was the only passenger awake he could talk Tatami's ear off to distract him. He had bolted out of the van once they had stopped and barely heard over his shoulder that dinner would be served a little later.

The trees and bushes were great to explore. The smells were just on everything. Animals, people, foilage...he hoped he used the word in the right context but didn't really care there was something even better to sniff further up a trail. The wold hybrid pup saw a lake and splashed around in it but got bored, then he remembered the cabin. Once he started to head back, with Udon and Moegi following in his tracks he smelt something. It was big, and strong, and scary. Hazel eyes looked up as his tail wagged when he saw the giant black cat. He growled deep in his throat, it wasn't mature enough sounding yet but he gave it all he had.

Sasuke smirked when the young wolf growled at him. The two domestics with him crept into view, cowering behind what they clearly saw as their big brother. The domestics were a red haired rabbit- female. While the other was a dark haired puppy with lop ears and glasses. Both were the normal size and weight of human children under the age of 8, so even though the wolf cub was about half a year younger, he was already much taller than his playmates.

"I'm Sasuke and if I was going to hurt you, I would've already done it. Relax, puppy."

Sasuke rubbed his ear on the tree branch where he was laying and looked down at the trio. They were a young bunch and he was surprised that they were so far from the neighboring cabin on their own. Still, he'd been that age once too, and knew that they were just playing...

"You aren't lost are you?"

Growling slightly, Konohamaru clawed at the massive tree the cat above sat in. His thick furry tail swayed in curiosity and anxiety. He was just too hyper active for his own good. "I'm not a puppy!" He said immaturly, his size gave it all away. "I'm one and three quarters!"

The tiny rabbit tried to get the wolf's attention. "Stop being mean Kono..." she said nervously. It wasn't uncommon for larger exotics to eat smaller breeds. The dog whined a bit under his breath, sucking a juicy dose of snot back into his running nose.

"We're not lost, cat! We can find our way just fine..." He said arrogantly.

Sasuke's tail twitched and he growled a little. His hormones were still making him edgy because he was in heat. He didn't want to kill the little brat, but another exotic might do it if no one taught him a few manners...Sasuke was eerily silent as he sprang from his perch. He rolled to protect the wolf from being crushed by his weight, but pinned the wolf with brutal speed and kept him there with ease. The younger hybrid whimpered instinctively, knowing his throat was totally bared in this postition.

The wolf didn't struggle- he wasn't _that _stupid.

"Now then," Sasuke purred. He kept the wolf's body pinned and groomed the indignant cub's spiky brown hair lavishly. "I'm going to let you go- when I'm done. But you should introduce yourself and mind your manners around adults."

From the side both the rabbit and puppy huddled together behind a bush. They didn't say anything and hoped their 'brother' wasn't torn to shreds if the huge cat changed his mind.

The wet tongue groomed him for a good five minutes as he was held down to the grass. He whined a bit, ears twitched to be released. Not that often he would be polite but why did it matter. Once the leopard let him get up, he backed away, using a paw to straighten out all the hair and fur that was out of place. A wary eye watched the smug cat.

"I won't have to mind my manners or be polite to adults when I'm the best fighter in the world!" He bellowed at the cat before he ran off towards the neighboring cabin.

Sasuke snorted, and shook his head with a smirk. If one was measuring skill with wins and losses in the Arena, then anyone would've told the cub that he was talking about Sasuke. The hybrid with the most wins in total however, was a massive Great White Shark hybrid named Kisame. No matter what way it was measured though, even the best fighter in the world could only compete in one weight class at a time so there were plenty of hybrids he'd never get to test himself with by fighting. Most purebreds were too valuable as potential breeding studs to be risked in the arena because most fights ended in death- or dismemberment which was often worse for the loser...

Being a fighter was still what most young exotic cubs dreamed about regardless of their breed and pedigree. But, the reality of training was much different than the visions that must be dancing in the wolf's head. Sasuke hated fighting because of the way his animal side reacted to finding an opponent that was evenly matched with him. He had never killed another hybrid in the ring- but he came dangerously close every time he fought either Haku or Gaara...

Never the less, Sasuke was glad he hadn't hurt the stubborn wolf cub. He decided to forget about the little twirp though and go see what Naruto and Iruka were doing.


	4. Dinner with Friends

the Trouble With Pets

Chapter 4

Iruka had finished tossing a lettuce salad and put together things for the fish fry. When he walked towards the door, orange ears peaked over the couch in the living room. "Ruka who's that?"

"You'll see." The human chimed as he turned the knob. Behind the door was a tall man with shoulder length brown hair and a goatee. Behind him were three small figures. A wolf hybrid, bunny and dog domestic. They were all hiding behind the legs of their owner, noses crazy as they sniffed the air around them. "Hi Tatami!" Iruka smiled wide. "Come in! Oh they are too cute. Hey little guys!"

Sasuke came in the back door just in time to see guests arriving through the front door. He smirked at Konohamaru and greeted the hybrids' owner with a nod. He saw the anxious look on Naruto's face- he looked like he couldn't decide whether to tackle the wolf hybrid to play with him or hide from the strange human.

"That is just Tatami. He and Iruka work together for the KHPA. Tatami still works in the Nursery though- which is where I was born."

Naruto didn't look to the leopard, simply stared at the new group with wide eyes. He bobbed down, then back up to see they were still there. He saw from behind the tall male human was a young wolf. The fox saw he was doing the same thing behind his owner. But when Tatami moved forward the puppies lost their safe shield.

The wolf scrambled back to the human, his nervous eyes went to Sasuke and back to his owner. He whined a bit but Tatami wouldn't have any of that. He was a firm owner and knew they would need to get over their apprehension. He picked up the wolf who was the most anxious and brought him closer to the others. Tatami's face gritted a tad when claws grazed his skin.

Naruto jumped over the couch and went beside Iruka. He stood as tall as he could to see the wolf.

Sasuke was a bit irritated to note that he was more used to introductions with humans than he was with other exotics, but at least that meant he was calm. It was part of being a full time fighter for the last four years. He spent more time around unfamiliar humans every week than most pets would in a lifetime. "This is Naruto, and I'm Sasuke."

He licked the wolf's ear and smiled at the two domestics. "What are your names, since we didn't get introduced earlier..."

The bunny shyly looked to the side and murmured, "Moegi and that's Udon." The puppy hid behind Moegi not wanting to be scrutinized. But the wolf squirmed in the human's arms. "Tami, let me downn!" Konohamaru pouted.

"Okay, okay." The deep voice chuckled. Tatami put the wolf down and saw Naruto's eyes go wide.

The fox pawed forward and hesitated only a second before he bounded forward to roll with Konohamaru. He kya-ed loudly as the two squabbled into the large open living room. Knocked off balance by the playful fox, Konohamaru growled indignantly and struggled.

Knowing the new arrival was probably having flashbacks of being held down and groomed by him in the grass outside, Sasuke smirked. Udon and Moegi were huddled close together, by one of the chairs. Both were keenly watching the fox and the wolf, but Sasuke knew they were still wary of him too. He knew not to take it personally, they'd forget to be nervous eventually... He looked at the clock on the wall and wondered if Kakashi had decided to stay the night at home in Konoha or if he'd be back before dark.

Naruto sniffed at the wolf, his nose went over the cub. "Hey! You smell like Sasuke!" The blond exclaimed, "Why do you smell like Sasuke?" He wondered. The larger exotic licked at the wolf as he wiggled around.

"The wolf cub and I met outside and as my annoying older brother would say, he was distinctly unfriendly. So I volunteered to teach him some manners." Sasuke answered coolly. The wolf blushed and squirmed out from under the distracted fox. Sasuke rolled onto his side and arched one eyebrow. His tail twitched as the wolf backed away but growled at him. "You don't really want to try round two, do you, Puppy?"

"N-No..."

"Then relax, maybe we should go outside while they fix dinner. You guys can wrestle out there without knocking over the coffee table."

Naruto smiled wide. "Let's go!" He pushed Sasuke forward as the other three followed them rather reluctantly. He bounced down the wooden porch steps and was lost in the tall grass.  
Once the wolf was a few steps into the grass he didn't see the fox. Konohamaru froze, ears pricked and alert as he padded carefully through the weeds.

Moegi and Udon had the sense to stay up on the deck and looked curiously down from behind the railing. Sasuke meanwhile was back in his Catalpa tree, his long black tail dangling contentedly behind his sprawled form.

He sniffed the air but as the fox's scent was everywhere in the grass near the deck, the young wolf whimpered. He didn't like being this vulnerable in unfamiliar territory again.

Naruto watched the wolf with keen blue eyes. He could see everything the pup did, never taking his eyes off of the new exotic. His behind rose, shook and then stopped moving all together. He let the natural instincts inside his body take over. The fox sprung forward, leaping into the air and pounced on the wolf. His body rolled with the force and he landed on top of the wolf. Naruto was full of giggles.

Konohamaru found himself bowled over again. But the fox was giggling and he couldn't help grinning back as he twisted his body and squirmed around, trying to gain the upper hand.  
Wrestling with Sasuke had been scary- and the leopard wasn't even angry! Naruto was older and stronger than he was too, but the fox was also in a playful mood. Konohamaru nipped playfully at one orange ear and used the distraction to pounce on the fox this time.

From the tree, Sasuke snorted. "He's not balanced at all, Naruto. Grab his knee and lower leg while you push up with your hips. You can toss him right over your head that way."

Naruto followed Sasuke's direction and the wolf flew over his head. With a loud roar Naruto pinned Konohamaru on the ground. He was on top of the wolf's back and nibbled on brown fluffy ears. But soon he licked gently to groom. The fox purred and licked the back of his new friends head. Konohamaru was going to growl, but he huffed instead and decided to squirm around so that he could groom the fox's tail instead.

"Alright everyone, dinner is ready!" Tatami called out.

Naruto's tail flicked into the wolf-pup's face, teasing him. The fox giggled playfully and rolled off of his playmate. When the call for dinner came though he jumped up and ran onto the porch. He could smelled the fish they caught earlier and wanted some bad.

Iruka had put down his supplies and set up his table top fryer on the cooking bench. They were there in the cabin so much out of the year he had a bunch of gadgets like the fryer. When he least expected it though, he felt arms wrap themselves protectively around his waist. He only had to barely look down to see the yellow hair and black tipped orange ears to know it was his kit.

"Are you getting along with our guests Naru?" Iruka asked softly before the others bounded onto the wooden porch. He kissed the top of Naruto's head as he felt the tail curl around his leg. The fox nodded positive and burried his face into his human's belly. Naruto purred a bit before he untangled himself from his owner and sat down at the table.

Sasuke stretched and yawned as he thought about joining the others. A flicker of movement caught his eye and realized that from his perch, he could see the edge of the road that linked the cabins in this area. Two cars with tinted windows rolled slowly past the cabin and Sasuke's tail curled curiously.

He got distracted though when a gust of wind made his stomach growl as he tasted the scent of Iruka's cooking.

With the mysterious cars now out of sight, he dropped out of the tree and took an empty seat next to Naruto at the picnic table. The fox had a leaf stuck in his hair so Sasuke pulled it out and then groomed the yellow strands neatly back into place.

Naruto watched the other pups carefully, blushing a little as the leopard purred and kept licking him. The other pets were grouped around their own owner, Tatami. They giggled as Sasuke kept licking the fox. But the human coaxed them to sit down too.

"Sasuke, could you pass the..." Iruka grinned watching the cat grooming his fox. "Sasuke!"

Naruto finally nudged him with an elbow. Still purring, the cat glanced at the human lazily. "Sasuke, I think maybe you should sit on the other side of me while we have our dinner since you already forgot about the food..."

Across the table, Tatami's eyes widened. "So it's true? I mean okay, I guess if he were mine I'd be worried too. But man, is Kakashi nuts? Changing collars on Sasuke while he's- you know..." Sasuke stood up from the table quietly, but rather than move to the spot Iruka scooted over to make for him, the cat left the screened porch and went upstairs. Tatami hadn't noticed the cat was gone, and continued. "Sure, Sasuke's the best fighter out there, but it will still hurt his stud value if his cubs are anything less than as perfectly bred as he is."

Naruto's ears drooped as he pouted. Where did the moody cat go? He had the urge to get up and follow him but stopped. The look on Iruka's face told him to stay put. A small whine gurgled up from his belly but his attention was taken when the smaller wolf pup pawed at his knee. The fox looked back for a second but batted the paw away. He was worried about Sasuke and didn't full understand what just happened. Some of the conversation were things he didn't know about, and it confused him. With a heavy sigh, Naruto waited patiently for his fish fry. He would probably bring some to the moody cat later.

Iruka shrugged at his guest. "Sasuke isn't mine, I don't control his fights or things like his collar. It's out of my hands. You should ask Kakashi when he gets back if you want a better answer." He wasn't worried too much about his cat, Sasuke would brood and then be back later when things were on a different topic. "Pound for pound, he is the best fighter in the world, and his cubs will be beautiful. I don't think the product of him breeding will be whats important to him or the people in his life. We're more focused on his mental and emotional well being right now." Iruka said kindly. He and Tatami had been friends for a long time, and he knew the other pet owner would understand.

Tatami grinned sheepishly and nodded. "Oops, sorry. This is why we shouldn't bring our work to the dinner table. But we hardly ever get to talk anymore, you've been so busy lately. I guess I'll have to apologize to Sasuke too- I forgot he's so smart and sensitive. So you took your new boat out today? Sounds nice, you sure caught a lot of great fish."

Iruka nodded and smiled.

Konohamaru spoke up, "Hey? I don't get it... You guys are both talking about that cat? He's not big enough to be a good fighter... and I'm a purebred too you know."

Tatami ruffled the cub's brown ears. "You've got a lot of growing up to do, little one. Now eat your lunch," he added.

Naruto pouted again. What were all these words, he didn't understand at all. He pawed at Iruka's tan arm. "Ruka, What's a purebred?" He asked sincerely. Iruka turned to his fox and pet the top of his head.

"A purebred is an exotic that comes from a line of purebreds. Like Sasuke, his parents are both purebreds and so on. He has papers that talk about his lineage, his family tree. So does Konohamaru." He pointed to the wolf pup.

Konohamaru nodded as Tatami petted him. But Naruto still didn't understand. "What if you're not a purebred?"

"Non purebred exotics are called mutts. They are still prized among owners but some are not as looked after."

"But...am I a purebred?" He asked a little hesitant, afraid of the answer. He didn't want to be different, be a mutt.

Iruka looked for the right answer, he didn't want to sugar coat things but he wanted Naruto to learn about his background. "Naru-kit, when we found you, your papers were not there. But we are trying to find them. We know the farm only held purebred exotics, but they hid your lineage papers." He pet the fox's blond hair. "You are a purebred, even if we don't have your paperwork."

Tatami nodded, smiling at the fox. "He's right. Foxes were pretty much bred out, by crossing them with other strains of exotics to make cubs with quicker reflexes. So you are even more rare than the smaller great cat types like Sasuke. If you really are one of Kushina's cubs like Tsunade thinks, then once Iruka has your papers, you'll be in demand too someday."

Konohamaru growled. He didn't like being the only exotic at the table that was being ignored. His ears tipped back and his tail twitched unhappily. Moegi put a tiny paw on his arm. "It's okay, Konohamaru! When you're older I'm sure you'll be famous too! Wolves make great fighters. Just look at uncle Asuma!"

The exotic owner frowned as he reached out to pet the wolf. His fur was soft and fluffy beneath his fingertips. He pulled gently on an ear to play with the child. "Buck up pup. You'll be awesome. You have a great master to guide you." Iruka smiled over to Tatami and a light blush formed over his cheeks. Iruka was somewhat tired of waiting so long for Sasuke's owner with his aloof nature.

Naruto couldn't stuff any more food into his mouth. He was sad and wanted to be like the kits at the table and most of all Sasuke. They were purebred and had their papers to prove it. Before he had his papers he wasn't much at all but Iruka's fox. Ear fell a bit as he swallowed the food down his throat. It hurt as it went down and made his eyes water. With both clawed hands he took a glass and big gulp of water to ease the pain. He was different and he knew it.

Sasuke knew Tatami didn't mean his words the way they came out- but they still stung. He was a friend and companion to Kakashi but more than that he was still a possession.  
Unlike most pets, Sasuke understood what that meant. He knew he was lucky to have such an understanding owner, most exotics whether they were fighters or not, were not so lucky. Night after night while he and Kakashi traveled on the fighting circuit, the TV news talked about hybrids being beaten and even starved to make them more vicious in battle or bred without proper registration for the sake of illegally selling their babies.

The people who worked in the KHPA were doing all they could to protect the hybrid population, but good owners and trainers were outnumbered, and not enough police cooperation with prosecuting cruelty cases made their job even harder. Naruto was lucky to have been found and rescued. He felt a strong urge to go to the fox and make sure he was safe. The human part of his mind told him that he was being ridiculous, because Iruka wouldn't let anything happen to his beloved fox- especially at the dinner table. Still... it was all but impossible to argue with instinct- it just didn't listen to reason. Especially where it concerned his mate. It seemed he was destined to learn about mating that the hard way now that he wasn't getting his shots or any other hormones from his collar either.

Thankfully they were still at the table eating, and he sat beside Iruka. "Sorry..." He grumbled.

"So am I," Tatami said warmly. "I haven't seen you or Kakashi in a while and I guess I forgot to mind my manners. So that press conference today is for real? You're not fighting anymore this year?"

Sasuke nodded slowly. "That's what Tsunade and Kakashi decided."

Tatami smiled. "I'm just glad you came out of the match okay, everyone at the Agency was really worried."

"Thanks," Sasuke said quietly.

Naruto swallowed the food in his mouth and looked past his master to the leopard. "You were in a match? Are you okay?" His voice was worried. What had happened to Sasuke? Ears turned and pushed down against his head to show the concern. Blue eyes looked around to the humans for answers but didn't see anything in their expressions that revealed any answers.

As Naruto was worried, Konohamaru looked a bit disgruntled that conversation was steered away from him. He wasn't a total attention whore but his nose was scrunched and the food lost it's flavor. Well, only slightly. He would never turn away food.

"This is good, Iruka," Sasuke said taking a bite of the fish. "I've been in a lot of matches but I still had to get a new collar... that's why I keep trying to mate with you, Naruto."

Iruka stared at the leopard and his mouth hung open slightly. "Uh..thanks Sasuke. You- you've had this kind of fish before, but I guess it has been a while." He looked over to his fox and put a hand up to his shoulder to rub at it. He thought what Sasuke said was a little too blunt, but from the look of it Naruto wasn't fazed.

"Sasuke, you didn't answer my question." The fox said. "Are you okay?"

Sasuke nodded. He was glad that Naruto was worried about him so the end of his tail reached behind Iruka and stroked the length of Naruto's tail. Sasuke snorted bitterly at the memory though, "I wasn't hurt by the stupid shark. It only hurt when my collar shocked me for attacking him..."

"That sounds awful." The touch on his tail felt nice but he was still somewhat confused. He didn't know what to think about Sasuke fighting. It made him excited but it was also unnerving. On one side Sasuke could have been hurt badly from the other fighter or just the collar as the leopard said. But Naruto wanted to see his future mate fight. It made his body tingle, and he wanted to roll around like they had earlier. His legs felt hot just from thinking about it.

"I can't stand the thought of losing so I won't ever give up- but I don't want to kill anyone either. Sometimes it's hard to stop myself..."

"Alright I'm sorry I brought that topic up now," Tatami said softly. "You don't have to think about it anymore now, Sasuke. Have you been swimming in the lake yet?"

Sasuke wrinkled up his nose in disgust. "No!" He growled, "There are fish and crabs and weeds _living _in that water..."

Naruto's eyes shined. "I've been in the lake! It's great! The water feels great, and the fish nip at your toes. It really tickles. Don't listen to Sasuke, the lake is the best." The fox exclaimed. He would know, he liked going in the water.

Konohamaru's face frowned. He liked water but the lake sounded big and scary. But if that stupid fox loved it so much, what was the big deal. "I wanna go." The wolf pup said.

Sasuke growled, glad that he was still too busy eating to be asked to go with the other pets. He knew he was still wearing his swimming trunks from their outing on the lake, but he still wasn't about to get wet. Being out in the rain this morning had been quite enough water for one day.

Iruka smiled at the excited faces and wagging tails of the younger hybrids. "Alright, go on. Sasuke you should go with them."

Sasuke growled but didn't protest as he took the last scoop of potato salad in a paper bowl and followed the little ones toward the lake.

Naruto had bounded through the tall grass and trees to the lake he loved so much. The wolf was not far behind him calling out, "Hey fox! Wait up!" He would grumble, "My legs are not as long as yours!"

"Too bad!" Naruto called over his shoulder but a low bush almost tripped him and Konohamaru caught up to him. The pup laughed at the fox and nipped at an ear when Naruto wasn't looking. "HEY!" Naruto whined, growling at the pup. After a few more episodes like that they were at the lake.

Sasuke was already unhappy that he was going back toward the fish infested water, and watching the wolf and the fox playing tag all the way there was making him even more irritable. He growled watching the playful pair, every time Konohamaru touched Naruto, Sasuke had to focus on staying calm, reminding himself that the wolf cub was still several months too young to breed. It should have also helped that he and the fox had been so close that morning, and that Naruto wasn't attracted to the wolf but Sasuke just couldn't help growling. His ears were pinned back and his tail thrashed restlessly by the time he skulked up to a nearby tree and settled on one of its branches.

Naruto was getting pissed off now. The little shit was jumping on him non-stop. "Come on, the water is fine. Get off me." He growled, finally getting in the water. He paddled back to see that Konohamaru was anxious about getting in the water.

"But what if a crab pinches me?" The wolf called out as he trotted back and forth on the shore.

"Then bite it's head off!" Naruto called from a few splashes out.

Konohamaru bounded into the water toward him with a splash, drenching himself and the fox. "You're right!" He laughed as he came up sputtering. "The water is nice here! Moegi, Udon get over here! Hey! Where are you guys?"

Once the oblivious pair reached the water they were more interested in swimming than pushing each other around, but Sasuke knew that his new collar had already given him a small dose of tranquilizer to control his aggression. He'd been ranked a priority one hybrid since he was six months old and that meant his collar would do everything in its power to keep him from losing control and displaying any violent behavior. It hadn't had enough time to get used to him yet so it would not know that he was not angry enough to attack anyone. Still, he decided it wasn't all bad. The small tranq had taken the edge out of his hormones and now he was ready for a nap.

"Come on you scardy cat!" Naruto called out from his rock. His clothes were soaked and his fur drenched. The fox shook it all out and laid down on the large rock. From the shore the wolf howled a little uncomfortably. He put a paw into the water and took it out to shake the chilly water off. "It's cold!"

"But you get used to it!" The voice carried into the wind. "Scardy pup, scardy pup!"

Konohamaru growled, "I'm NOT a scardy cat or a pup! I'll show you!" He jumped into the water and a loud squeal rumbled as he swam out to the rock. "I'LL GET YOU!" He yelled.

"Scaredy cat??" Sasuke picked his head up and snorted arching one eyebrow. He growled a little louder but sighed and his tail wasn't twitching as much as it had been earlier and his ears weren't pinned back as far as before either. He could bulldog both of the idiots right now but he wasn't going to- mostly because that would mean getting wet...

Moegi and Udon had noticed Sasuke had calmed down too, and finally the tiny bunny came close enough to put her toes in the water. Udon scampered a few feet in, and then came back for her.

"Konohamaru? Look! What's this?" She asked, picking up something shiny that had been half buried in the sand and rocks.

The wolf swam towards the shore and squinted his eyes. "What is that? Is it a toy?" He went out of the water and stood over the bunny to see the item. "Ohh it's a toy soldier. It's neat." He dripped water onto the soil and created a puddle. Before he could look over the toy, Naruto burst in between the bunny and wolf and took it.

"Wow, what's this?" He asked, holding it up to the light. "Cool!"

Moegi looked around. "I wish there were more of them. Then we could all play with them together."

"I know!" Konohamaru said, "Everybody pick up a stick and we'll use them as swords. We'll be the... Guardians of the Lake."

Moegi wrinkled up her nose and shook her head, but her ears drooped timidly. "But Tami doesn't like it when we play fight..."

Konohamaru sighed. "Don't worry Moe. We won't be fighting anyone for real, we'll all be a team! Like the Power Rangers- but better!"

Naruto stared at them with a confused face. He didn't know what a sword was or Power Rangers. He held up the toy and ran around a bit as if the toy man was flying. What he wanted was to play with Sasuke. When the cat lounged a bit and eyes closed, Naruto saw the majestic tail swoop down from the perch. He pawed at it playfully, smiling up at the cat when a disgruntled face looked down at him. "Sasuuu..." He whined a little. "Come play with me?" He asked.

"Aren't you supposed to be swimming or something?"

Naruto only whimpered again and pawed at the tree trunk. Sasuke sighed because he liked it that the fox wanted to be with him- especially when he was already surrounded by playmates. Warily, he dropped down from his perch, he was tired, but he still wanted to be close to his fox.

He yawned and stretched. "Well, I'm not getting in the yucky water, but what do you want to play..."

Naruto's playful eyes glistened and he put his hands over Sasuke's careful eyes. "I want to play hide and sneak." He jumped excitedly and purred. "I go hide and you sneak me! Kay, count to a billion and I'll go hide. No peaking!" he said and ran off to hide from the beautiful leopard.

Hide and seek, he could deal with, but a billion? Sasuke wasn't sure how many that was exactly, but he knew it was a really big number... He counted for a while, until he got tired of it at two hundred, and then he started to look around. His long tail twitched as he tasted the air, casting for scents.

He was a pretty fair tracker but his quarry was clever. He lost Naruto's scent at the water so he paused to look around. Sasuke checked in the nearby rock piles and glanced at the nearby trees. He checked the edge of the water for tracks but with Konohamaru and the two domestics around, all the scents were too jumbled together. This was going to take a while, he had a feeling.

Naruto had ran off into the forest while Sasuke counted. He chuckled to himself as the leopard wandered further away from him. He watched from far away and he climbed a tree much like Sasuke would and waited.

After a while, he didn't see Sasuke anymore. He yawned and used his claws to sharpen on wood bark. Naruto wanted to be found and maybe pounced. He giggled to himself.

Since Konohamaru and the others were playing together in the water and didn't seem to be paying attention to him or Naruto, Sasuke decided the fox must have left the water completely or he'd be picking up some kind of a scent from him.

He moved lightly through the woods, still tasting the air as he walked. He knew the fox would usually be hiding in the underbrush. But Naruto was used to Sasuke lurking in trees so Naruto was probably not going to hide from him on the ground. He was smart enough to know he'd be caught there too easily. He wondered for a moment if the fox had gone to hide in the cabin, but he doubted that too. This game was Naruto's idea that meant he'd be too easily trapped once he was found if he was already indoors.

He'd be waiting for him somewhere high, where he could see him coming. Sasuke's tail twitched again. He tasted the wind as he walked, keeping his eyes on the tree limbs. His ear twitched unhappily as he decided this game was going to dry out the roof of his mouth. The scent of his mate finally teased his senses again and Sasuke growled quietly as he swung toward it.

Eager blue eyes peered down from a nearby tree limb and Sasuke jumped into the tree to join him.

The tree branch bounced with the new weight on it but Naruto smiled. "You found me!" He walked towards Sasuke and rubbed his face underneath Sasuke's neck. "Want to play again?" He asked with mirth in his voice. When the leopard laid down on the branch to nap he frowned. "You don't want to play again?" A heavy paw jutted out and caught him around the waist. He yelped softly but was pressed against the strong chest. A loud purr erupted from the cat's throat and he mewled happily to be held so close.

Sasuke was just glad that Naruto hadn't simply run off and made him chase after him again. That was what he'd been expecting from his rather obstinate mate, but if the fox wasn't complaining, Sasuke could be content with being close to him. He probably would've gone straight to sleep too thanks to the tranquilizer from earlier, if it wasn't for a stray leaf in Naruto's hair. Sasuke couldn't resist pulling the leaf out and then grooming the golden strands back into place. He breathed a contented sigh, still holding Naruto and took a nap.

The first thing Sasuke noticed when he woke up, was that it was already dark outside, and they were quite a distance from the cabin... The next thing he noticed, was that other than the lake water, Naruto smelled good. The fox carried his scent and Sasuke found the combination so oddly arousing that he couldn't stop himself from stripping and licking the shell of the sleepy blonde's ear.

Grumbling, Naruto wiggled a bit in Sasuke's embrace. But the lick at his ear made him moan, opening hazy blue eyes. Naruto focused on his mate and ears pulled down as he moved against the leopard. A pink tongue darted out of the fox's mouth to run up Sasuke's long throat. "Sasu," Naruto started as the heat bubbled in his belly. It didn't help that he was half asleep and they were laying in the trees, all alone.

A sneaky tail curled around both of them and wrapped itself around Sasuke's own long and luxurious tail. The tip rubbed against his rump and teased the Uchiha. Naruto's eyes were hooded and his breathing was labored. He raked a clawed hand down the bare chest to tease a nipple. Over come with emotion, he leaned forward to run his wet tongue along the hard nub.

Sasuke arched his back, moaning a little but he didn't want to be teased again or worse- interrupted. He took advantage of Naruto's receptiveness and pounced right on top of him. He straddled Naruto's hips but very gently, he nipped the fox's bottom lip before sucking on it slowly while purring. The fox moaned, grasping his hips tightly- as if desperate to feel more of his body against him. But he also cocked one ear up at him curiously.

Sasuke smirked, still purring and leaned down to nip his ear and then he whispered, "Don't stop..."

A deep shiver coursed through his body. Naruto's hips rolled underneath the leopard, his clawed hands moved from powerful chest, down to lean abs. Naruto sucked in a breath and started to pant. Electricity spurred through his body and pulling Sasuke's face down to his own, he began to devour his mate's mouth. Tongue prodded into the wet and slick cavern.

"Ahhh..." He groaned a bit as his erection pressed into Sasuke's riding leg. A trickle of pre-cum dripped out of his cock and the fox saw his lover move on top of him. His hand went to rub against Sasuke's arousal.

Instinctively Sasuke bucked against Naruto's hand- again it felt delicious but this time he wanted more than being touched there. His body was demanding release and he was very tired of fighting it. He reached back for his mate's hard cock, slathering the length of it with precum. Naruto moaned and before the fox could protest, he guided it inside him. It slid in easily and it felt strangely good having his mate inside him. Sasuke's purring deepened as he rocked his hips back and forth, not even noticing when his head tipped back, exposing his throat to the fox. As he moved, he liked the way that Naruto panted and gripped his hips more and more tightly- he wasn't protesting now, Sasuke thought smugly.

Moaning deeply, Naruto bucked up into his mate. The leopard was writhing on his long shaft and bounced wantonly. "Gah...Sasu..ke." He half mumbled, taken by the feeling of being inside. Naruto's clawed hands held Sasuke's hips down and he rolled them in deep circles. But what caught his eye was the luscious bare neck that was open to him. His body moved on it's own as instinct took over. Leaning up in a swift arch, the fox bit down with force onto Sasuke's throat. It was hard enough to break the skin but not rip out anything vital. A small trickle of blood seeped into his mouth from the wound. Naruto tasted the metallic nature of the blood and growled. This was his mate, and no one would take Sasuke from him. Relentlessly he pounded in and out of the Uchiha.

Sasuke felt the bite but it only fed his pleasure. He leaned back more, putting his hands on Naruto's legs, changing the angle of penetration. Sasuke knew he was teasing his mate because he wasn't as deep now but he wondered how long it would take the fox to get frustrated and roll them over.

The view was great. Sasuke was getting sweaty, his ears pulled back and tail twitched. Growling, Naruto saw what Sasuke was doing. He couldn't get as deep with a hold on his thighs. His cock bobbed a bit neglected as he thrust down onto the fox. Grabbing the shaft, he pumped the leopard's erection. A thumb smeared the glistening drops of cum that beaded at the top. "That's right cat. I know you want it..." Naruto cooed out.

With one leg, he swung it underneath his mate and turned Sasuke onto his belly. Naruto growled loudly into the leopards cupped ear. "I'm going to make you beg for more." His tongue darted out to wet the fur and he nipped it as tan hips lined up with Sasuke's quivering backside. Shoving in again, it was deep and hard rhythm.

Sasuke wanted to snort but he moaned instead. Of course he wanted this- he'd started it consistently. Still, the fox's husky tone turned him on even more so he decided to point it out later. He backed into Naruto's every thrust for a while but decided he still wanted more.

He got comfortable in the fragrant grass, lying almost flat on his belly. He opened his legs wider and propped himself up a bit on his knees where he could stroke his cock. The position probably looked ridiculous, but he arched his back wantonly anyway, relishing the incredible pleasure that was building within him. "Yeah, " He purred, squeezing the muscles deep within his body. "Fuck me harder..."

Flicking his tongue out, Naruto tasted the air unconsciously. He breathed in and tasted theirs scent of sex and fluids. Groaning at the stimulation, his claws dug into Sasuke's hips and swung them towards his own. His cock glided in and out with a sweetness that he had never felt before. Even when they inserted the machine into his body to make him have babies, it was nothing like this. Never in his life had the fox believed there was anything that felt his good.

Leaning over the more defined body below him, he panted into Sasuke's sleek ears. "Nngg...Sasuke." He bit Sasuke's other shoulder, finding more strength in the possessiveness he reached around and fondled his mate's already pumping cock. Naruto smacked the leopard hand away with a growl. Replacing the pale hand with his own tan one, he gripped the feline's member with a strength not to injure but own. This was his body, his mate, his! Never before had the fox been this possessive.

Sasuke would never let anyone else treat him like this, but he had already chosen Naruto as his mate. His body was made for rough play and although he could reverse this at any time, he wasn't going to. Naruto needed the freedom to follow his instincts in order to begin accepting what Sasuke already knew; they belonged to each other.

"Yeah..." Sasuke purred low in his throat. Even though he'd never done this before, instinctively he knew he was close. "So good, Naruto."

Kissing and biting along the leopard's neck, Naruto can feel the most breath catching feeling deep with in his body. It was better than when they played before. So much better. His hips snap in a less rhythmic pattern and his hand pumps Sasuke's cock harder. "I...can feel something." Naruto panted out to the cat. "You feel so good around me." The fox's ears turn backwards and he grunts more as the feeling intensifies. "Ung...ahh...ahhh!" Naruto started to growl and make noises he never knew could come out of his mouth.

Sasuke could feel how close Naruto was by the tension in his body. They were both panting heavily and he felt that same sensation of tightness in himself too and he didn't fight it. He let it happen and was left seeing stars as the tension melted out of his body. That was amazing and for a while, Sasuke just laid there feeling happily dazed as Naruto's erratic thrusts finally settled into exhaustion too.

He turned over onto his back and nipped the fox's ear. "Now you're mine," He purred against his mate's neck.

"I'm happy," Naruto sighed sleepily as Sasuke's long tail looped around him.


End file.
